‘DMK-Congress not strong enough to dislodge AIADMK’

Despite the DMK forging an alliance with the Congress and the People’s Welfare Front (PWF) seemingly marching ahead, the PMK chief ministerial candidate Anbumani Ramadoss remains undaunted. In an interview to The Hindu on Monday, he insists that the DMK-Congress is not strong enough to dislodge the AIADMK and the PWF’s electoral strength is only an illusion.

The DMK and Congress have come together again. How do you view this development when the PMK is yet to find an ally?

If you consider the three decades of Tamil Nadu politics, the incumbent AIADMK government is the most corrupt regime. The DMK, however, cannot seek to replace it, because even in 2006 Assembly polls it could not gain majority despite forming a mega alliance. It was pushed to a third position in the 2011 Assembly polls and again could not win a single seat in the 2014 parliamentary polls. Its base is eroding and it is a sinking ship. Now, the DMK and the Congress have come together after pointing an accusing finger at each other over their involvement in 2G spectrum scam. The DMK held the Congress responsible for the plight of the Sri Lankan Tamils before quitting the UPA government. They are now pretending as if nothing happened in the past. The vote base of the Congress is negligible to make the difference for the DMK after G.K. Vasan left the party. How do you expect the DMK to win when the party leader’s son M.K. Alagiri has predicted a victory for the ruling AIADMK?

No political party has evinced interest in an electoral pact with the PMK…

We are open for an alliance. But we will lead the front in Tamil Nadu. The BJP allowed the Shiv Sena to lead the alliance in Maharashtra in the past, Akali Dal in Haryana, Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh and Biju Janata Dal in Odisha. It can join us here. If it is not ready, we are not bothered. We have the goodwill of the people.

The PWF seems to be gaining ground with support from various sections. It is also believed that it is elbowing out the PMK. Your comments.

This is an illusion. Those who cannot digest the growth of the PMK as an alternative to the Dravidian parties are indulging in this campaign, while the reality at the ground level offers a different picture. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Left parties together polled a total of 4,30,000 votes in Tamil Nadu, whereas in the Dharmapuri constituency alone I polled 50,000 more votes than this. The MDMK has become weak after the exit of almost all senior leaders. The educated people, even from the Dalit community, are disenchanted with the VCK for its politics of violence and antagonism.

But the PWF has a presence across the State, while the PMK’s support base is confined to northern districts...

This is again a motivated campaign. Our regional conferences and public meetings in southern districts attracted very huge crowds. In Dindigul, Thoothukudi and Pudukottai we witnessed unprecedented response from the people. Even 20 years ago, we were able to win in four Assembly constituencies. We have the self-confidence and repose faith in the people who are desperate for a change. Anbumani as chief ministerial candidate has captured the imagination of voters, particularly neutral and young voters.

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‘PWF will decide CM candidate after polls’

Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol. Thirumavalavan broke his silence on his party leader’s demand for announcing a Dalit as a Chief Ministerial candidate, saying that the issue of electing a Chief Minister on behalf of the People's Democratic Front (PWF) would be decided after the outcome of the 2016 Assembly polls.

He, however, justified the aspirations of his partymen, including general secretary Ravikumar, who first wrote about the issue on Facebook in 2014.

“They have initiated a debate on making a Dalit Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and it has nothing to do with Thirumavalavan, the leader of the VCK. When States like Maharashtra, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have made it possible for a Dalit to become a Chief Minister, why we are not able to even initiate a debate on the subject? We are actually posing the question to the two Dravidian parties – the DMK and the AIADMK – that have alternatively ruled the State,” Mr. Thirumavalavan told The Hindu .

The VCK leader, who is part of the People's Democratic Front (PWF), said his party leaders did not have any ulterior motive in raising the issue, since the question of projecting a Chief Ministerial candidate on behalf of the PWF was already discussed.

“We decided that there was no need to announce it before the elections. We may reopen the issue if a new party comes forward to join our alliance. But so far we are firm that the Chief Ministerial candidate should be elected only after the elections,” Mr. Thirumavalavan said.

He said in a democracy, the selection of a Chief Minister should take into consideration the number of seats won by the political parties that came together to contest the election on a common platform. “We are not going to contest in an equal number of constituencies and even if we follow the procedure, we may not win an equal number of seats,” he explained.

Mr. Thirumavalavan, however, wondered why Dalits, who accounted for 20 per cent of the population and whose participation in polling has always been enthusiastic, were never considered for any important portfolios by the Dravidian parties and for the district secretary post, while members of other communities enjoyed Cabinet berths disproportionate to their population.

‘An exploited lot’

“Dalits are exploited like the landless agriculture labourers in politics and their work and contributions are never duly rewarded by political parties,” he charged.

His point of view is that said that the Congress, if they had a chance to continue in power in State, might have made a Dalit Chief Minister. “The party had nominated two Dalits as its State presidents – L. Ilayaperuman and Maragadham Chandrasekar – and allotted important Ministries to the members from the Dalit community: Kakkan for Home and Parameswaran for the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.

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