Squabbles over, TN's political parties get down to business

The ruling DMK, in alliance with the Congress, Pattali Makkal Katchi, Viduthlalai Chiruthaigal, Kongu Nadu Munnetra Kazhagam, Indian Union Muslim League and the Moovendar Munetra Kazhagam, would take on the rainbow alliance led by opposition All India Anna DMK, with actor politician Vijaykant's Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, Marumalarchi DMK and the Left parties, as also some minor parties.

Though the DMK clinched the deal with the Congress after a logjam over seat allocation and identification, cadres of both parties are yet to forget the mental agony they underwent all these days, according to political analysts in Chennai. The high commands of the two parties will find it a tough task to prevail on them to go for election campaign straightaway, they said.

Maligned by the 2G spectrum scam, which the AIADMK has already made an election issue, the DMK is finding it tough to sail through the polls, despite doling out many freebie schemes to people, especially among rural folk.

The Congress, for the first time in recent memory, did not bow to its regional ally and stood firm on its demand for 63 seats and got it. The Congress's thinking was that in the post-poll scenario, its role would be crucial if neither the DMK nor the AIADMK along with its allies gets an absolute majority.

Though the AIADMK finalised its alliance partners much before the DMK, it was unable to get into the nitty-gritty of seat-sharing. It allotted 41 seats to the DMDK, two to the Puthia Tamizhagam, and one each to the Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam, the Akila India Naadalum Makkal Katchi of actor Karthik, and the RPI, but is yet to strike a deal with the Communist Party of India, CPI-M, and the MDMK, which are reportedly seeking more seats.

A clear picture may emerge either on Wednesday evening or on Thursday when the AIADMK is likely to reach a final accord with the parties.

The DMK, on its part, has started the process of selection of candidates, but has to wait till it completes the exercise of identification of constituencies with allies. It does not expect any problem on that account, apart from the Congress, the analysts feel.

The present thinking is to allow the parties to contest the seats already held by them and go for negotiations on others. But the Congress appears to have demanded that it be given its choice and is not expected to give tickets to present legislators in a bid to field new faces.

Selection of candidates is going to be a major problem for the faction-ridden Congress, though the group headed by Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan is the dominant player. It has to satisfy leaders like Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, former Union ministers EVKS Elangovan and R Prabhu, both defeated in the Lok Sabha polls.

The party is yet to begin the preliminary work of getting applications from aspirants, while its major opposition at the national level, the Bharatiya Janata Party, has said it would be sending its list to its central election committee by tomorrow.

The BJP had announced it would go it alone, projecting itself as an alternative to the two major Dravidian parties, the DMK and AIADMK.