Chennai: The nagging doubts and inspired speculations about the alliances for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu could soon end as the Election Commission has now announced the biennial polls to Rajya Sabha and all the ‘cats on the wall’ must take their leap one way or the other much before the RS poll day, February 7.
‘Captain’ Vijayakanth cannot afford to wait till his Ulundurpet general council meet for announcing his allies for the Lok Sabha polls as the last date for withdrawal of nominations for the RS poll is January 31.
Speculation is rife that he would take the bite if the DMK offers him a RS seat, which he would not be able to get since he has only 23 MLAs and it requires the backing of at least 34 legislators for winning one RS seat.
Next: RS?polls will show up LS allies
RS?polls will show up LS allies
Chennai: The nagging doubts and inspired speculations about the alliances for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in TN could soon end as the Election Commission has now announced the biennial polls to Rajya Sabha and all the ‘cats on the wall’ must take their leap one way or the other much before the RS poll day, February 7.
Union minister G K Vasan and Jayanti Natarajan of the Congress, A A Jinnah and Vasanthi Stanley of the DMK, N Balaganga of the AIADMK and T K Rangarajan of the CPI (M), will be the six RS members from Tamil Nadu retiring in April. With the Lok Sabha contest appearing tough and slippery, all these MPs would love to get renominated to the Upper House.
The return of Marxist Rangarajan to RS would mean that his party would get the support of the AIADMK—a foregone conclusion right now—and chief minister Jayalalithaa’s relations with the Left get further cemented.
‘Captain’ Vijayakanth will not be able to hold his alliance announcement until his DMDK’s general council meeting he had scheduled on February 2 at Ulundurpet because January 31 is the last day for withdrawal of candidatures for the RS poll and that would mean that he must declare his partners for the LS election much before that.
Speculation is rife that he could take the bite should the DMK offer him one RS seat, which he would not be able to gain as his party only has 23 MLAs (of the total 29 in the Assembly, five have migrated to the AIADMK side and presidium chairman Panruti Ramachandran resigned) and it required the support of at least 34 MLAs to get one RS candidate through.
DMK has 23 MLAs, besides the support of MMK (2) and Puthiya Tamizhagam (one), adding up to 26. Even if the Congress gives the support of its five MLAs to the DMK, in return for an alliance for the LS polls, that would still leave the DMK short by three votes to gain one RS win. One view is that rather than try getting that one RS seat, DMK chief M Karunanidhi might offer Vijayakanth the support to have one of his nominees enter the Upper House—perhaps from his family.
The AIADMK is sitting pretty in this RS poll. The party has 150 MLAs plus the Speaker. It also has the support of CPI-M (10 MLAs), CPI (8), AIFB (one) and PT (one). The party can get five of its nominees into the RS. There is speculation that the AIADMK leadership may offer one RS seat each to the two communist parties for ensuring their loyalty in the LS poll due in May.
