Chennai: The main opposition DMK on Wednesday deciding not to contest the June 27 bypoll to the Assembly from R.K. Nagar in the city, from where AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa is expected to contest, has paved way for political experimentation in the run-up to the 2016 general election. While DMK’s scepticism looks more tactical with less than a year to go to elect a new Tamil Nadu Assembly, the decision by other Opposition parties may well turn out to be a prelude to how a non-AIADMK, non-BJP combine could take shape for the larger political battle awaiting them in 2016.
Only recently, the DMK’s youth wing leader and party treasurer M.K. Stalin hinted at a new alliance formation. But it backing out of this by-poll, which he termed having been announced in a ‘hurry’, has in fact placed a conscious premium on other opposition parties eager to test the waters. Two other smaller, but important opposition parties, the PMK and the Dalit outfit VCK, have already expressed their intent not to contest the by-poll. “Usually, we don’t contest such by-elections, you know what happened in Srirangam. It’s waste of time, energy and manpower for us,” PMK spokesman, Mr K. Balu, told DC on Wednesday.
The VCK leader, Thol. Thirumavalavam echoed similar sentiments at Madurai earlier in the day.This has left the field for three other key players to decide whether to contest the by-poll from RK Nagar or not, including actor Vijayakant-led DMDK, Congress and the Left parties. With the DMK backing out, at least a section in the Pradesh Congress favour the party putting up a candidate.
“There is a possibility of Congress contesting, but a decision will be taken at our state executive on June 3, which will be attended by Mr Mukul Wasnik in-charge of Tamil Nadu,” said Congress party sources, adding, “it will be good if the DMK supports us.”
The CPI(M), which usually leads the Left parties in fighting every election as they consider it a democratic duty, has also convened its state committee meeting here on June 3 to decide on the issue. “We are yet to give it (on contesting) a thought,” CPI (M) state secretary G. Ramakrishnan, told DC. The BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit is also yet to take a call on the issue. Though a common opposition candidate against the AIADMK is virtually ruled out, the parties jumping into the fray at R.K. Nagar and the quarters from which they hope to get tacit or open support, is likely to script the alliance chemistry for the 2016 poll-battle, say political observers.
Assembly election matters for us, says M Karunanidhi
A day after the Election Commission announced the date for by-poll in R.K. Assembly constituency here, the DMK president M. Karunanidhi said his party will not contest in the by-election due to “widespread malpractices” and that only a year is left for the general election. “Considering the fact that the Assembly elections are scheduled next year, the DMK has decided not to contest in the constituency,” Mr Karunanidhi said in a statement here.
He pointed out that when the Srirangam Assembly seat fell vacant after Ms Jayalalithaa’s resignation the Election Commission declared election for the seat only on January 12. The sitting MLA quit his R.K. Nagar seat only on May 17 but the EC announced the date for the by-election within 10 days. One can imagine how the by-election will be held by those in power who have great influence, he said.
“Last time out, DMK candidate P.K. Sekar Babu secured 52,522 votes. Though we lost the Srirangam bypoll, DMK candidate N. Anand got a sizeable share of votes bettering previous bypoll results,” said a DMK councillor requesting not to be identified. “Even during MGR days, our Thalaivar (Karunanidhi) taught us to bravely fight bypolls and in this case the local heavyweights are to be blamed”, he added.
