The time tested DMK-Congress alliance in Tamil Nadu is on the verge of collapse as Congress scion Rahul Gandhi has not mentioned the names of his alliance partner or its supreme leader during the first two days of his three-day tour in southern districts which began on Saturday.
No DMK leaders were seen sharing the stage with Rahul Gandhi in Thoothukudi or Tirunelveli districts and this is being seen as an allis not well in the ties between the two parties.
In earlier occasions, the DMK chief M K Stalin would be seen sharing the stage and in all public appearances of the former president of the Congress party. The talks between the DMK and the Congress over the sharing of seats for the upcoming assembly election in the State has it a roadblock following the refusal of the former to part with more than 20 seats.
The Congress is hoping to get at least 40 seats, the same number of assembly seats which it contested in the 2016 assembly election. But Stalin has reportedly told the Congress leaders that the his party should have at least 170 seats of its own for the smooth functioning of the government to be formed post-election.
A senior Congress leader who shared with The Pioneer the developments said that the DMK has been threatened by the BJP not to part with more seats. “The DMK’s track record while in the UPA Government is not clean. The BJP would not hesitate to unleash the investigating agencies against them if the party leadership does not listen to the Central government’s orders,” said the former union minister who did not want his name to be quoted.
Rahul Gandhi’s speech at Thoothukudi on Saturday and at Tirunelveli on Sunday gave enough hints about his displeasure over the intransigence of the DMK. “The Narendra Modi Government is unleashing central agencies like Enforcement Directorate, CBI and Customs on the opposition party leaders. But I am not one to be frightened by such deeds,” said the Congress leader.
Even as the DMK-Congress seat sharing talks remaining inconclusive, the AIADMK sealed a pact with the Vanniyar dominated PMK late Saturday. The PMK, one of the tough customers among the AIADMK alliance partners, was allocated 23 seats. Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam were holding discussions with the BJP State leadership on Sunday and a formal announcement was expected either late evening or on Monday.
The Indian Justice Katchi (Katchi is the Tamil for party) launched by T R Patchamuthu MP , an alliance partner of the DMK who came out of the front is giving shape to a Third Front with Kamal Haassan as the chief ministerial candidate.