The AIADMK is yet to take a decision on its approach towards the no-confidence motion being planned by the Opposition parties against the Narendra Modi Government.
The last time a no-confidence motion was introduced against the BJP-led NDA Government was in 1999 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister of the country. The Government lost the confidence motion by a single vote as its major ally, the AIADMK led by Jayalalithaa withdrew its support to the NDA.
Nearly two decades later, the AIADMK is the cynosure of all eyes as the party has become the third largest single bloc in the lok Sabha with 37 members after the BJP and the Congress. last time the AIADMK was in the forefront to pull down the NDA Government as it felt that the Vajpayee Government was not doing enough to extricate Jayalalithaa from the corruption cases filed against her by the Karunanidhi-led DMK Government in Tamil Nadu. She had wanted the scalp of the DMK government from the Vajpayee administration in return for the continued support.
But this time around, the AIADMK is not in a commanding position as it was in 1998-99. The BJP has the magic numbers to defeat the no confidence motion. But the AIADMK is facing a major dilemma because the party s perceived in Tamil Nadu as the servile of the BJP government at the Centre.
The major issue in Tamil Nadu as on date is the delay by the Centre in constituting the Cauvery Management Board as per last month’s Supreme Court verdict. The apex court had asked the Centre to constitute the CMB in six weeks. But there is no sign of the Centre taking any initiatives to implement the court verdict. The general feeling is that since Karnataka goes to the assembly polls in a few months’ time, the BJP does not want to antagonise the people of the State because they are against the constitution of CMB.
Though the AIADMK has been showing some kind of belligerence towards the BJP and the Centre of late, the party is not as strong or as powerful as it was in 1998-99 even with 37 members in lok Sabha. “I have a strong feeling that the AIADMK would not do anything to upset the BJP. There are many corruption cases pending against the AIADMK ministers and leaders with the Income Tax department and the CBI. The party will play it safe,” said N Kalyanasundaram.
He also pointed out that with TTV dhinakaran waiting in the sidelines to strike at the right time and the DMK led by M K Stalin breathing down it’s neck, the AIADMK is left with no friends other than the BJP. “It is an open secret that Edappadi Palaniswami is in office because of the BJP’s tacit support,” he said.
Kalyanasundaram also said that the CMB controversy is all hogwash. “Nobody is serious about resolving the issue. Had they been serious, it would have been sorted out during the UPA regime itself,” he said referring to the power wielded by the DMK during the UPA tenure.
A senior AIADMK leader who is also a member of parliaments said it was too early to speak about the stance of the party towards the no-confidence motion. “It is along drawn out process. let the movers get the required number and introduce the motion. Then we will see,” said the MP who did not want his name to be quoted.