Cracks appear in DMK-TMC alliance over Moopanar's decision

Cracks have developed in the year-long ties Tamil Maanila Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam after I K Gujral's election as the United Front leader on Saturday night and the TMC's decision to pull out of the Front's next government.

The two parties forged an alliance in April last year after G K Moopanar broke away from the Congress in protest against that party's alliance with the All India Anna DMK. TMC leaders believe DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi did not sufficiently back Moopanar in the UF leadership race.

The DMK and TMC have already taken divergent stands vis a vis the Front.

While the TMC has decided to extend support to the Front from outside and leave the government, the DMK will stay in the Front and in the government. The DMK was not consulted by the TMC before it decided to walk out of the government on Saturday night.

The alliance had scored impressive gains for both parties in the last general and TN assembly elections. The TMC bagged all the 20 Lok Sabha seats it contested and 39 of 40 assembly seats.

TMC leaders feel Karunanidhi did not want Moopanar to be elected UF leader as the former party was the DMK's minor ally. After the contest hotted up, all that Karunanidhi said while leaving for Delhi was that if Tamil Nadu got a chance he would support only Moopanar.

Speaking to newspersons in Delhi on Sunday, Karunanidhi explained that while the Left parties and the Janata Dal were opposed to Moopanar, he could do little to advance Moopanar's case. Asked whether the developments would result in the snapping of ties between the two allies, a senior TMC official said the party executive has to take a decision in the matter.

Immediately after the withdrawal of support by the Congress to the Front, it was felt that Moopanar would emerge as the next prime minister.

In his long political career this was the first time that Moopanar was willing to shoulder official responsibility and allowed his party to project him as a prime ministerial candidate. He had shied away from all government positions in the past.

While the DMK and TMC managed to maintain the alliance ignoring minor irritants, there was no indication that the TMC consulted the DMK before Moopanar was projected as a serious contender for power.

Karunanidhi met the situation with silence and opened out only on April 17 to say that if Tamil Nadu got a chance who else he would he support but Moopanar. Assembly speaker P T R Palanivelrajan suggested Karunanidhi as the party candidate.

TMC leaders say Karunanidhi backed Moopanar only at the last stage when opposition to the TMC president was built up, knowing full well that he had no chance to win the leadership election. Privately, partymen have been expressing unhappiness about the DMK's lack of enthusiasm for Moopanar's candidature.