Chennai: PMK’s executive and general council will meet in the city on Thursday and Friday amid expectation over its proposed plan to float a non-DMK and AIADMK alliance for the 2016 Assembly polls.
According to PMK sources, a decision on the next Assembly election is likely to be taken in the meet as party founder Dr S. Ramadoss has been expressing his wish to lead an alliance without Dravidian majors. “The issue of alliance for 2016 polls will be discussed in the executive council meeting on Thursday. The advantages and disadvantages will be discussed threadbare in the meeting before taking any final decision,” a senior PMK leader said.
In run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, PMK floated a social democratic alliance comprising caste groups but it joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance at the last moment. “The alliance with BJP did not yield desired results. Though we won Dharmapuri constituency in the polls, it is mostly due to our own strength,” the leader said.
A former PMK MP said that the ensuing election provides a better opportunity for the party to emerge as an alternative force in the state following conviction of AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa in a corruption case and DMK leaders Kanimozhi and A. Raja facing charges in 2G spectrum scam. “We want to capitalise on this opportunity. Any party including BJP can join us,” he said.
PMK’s move will be a setback to DMK which is keen to forge a mega alliance against the ruling AIADMK in the forthcoming Assembly elections.
Interestingly, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi and party treasurer M.K. Stalin attended the wedding reception of Dr Anbumani’s daughter recently leading to talks of emergence of new alliance. However, Dr Ramadoss dismissed any possibility of aligning with either DMK or AIDMK.
