CHENNAI: CPI(M) along with CPI and VCK will take part in the all-party meeting convened by DMK, signaling a strong anti-BJP mood in the meeting which may come out with decisions of agitations against the Centre. Even while announcing its decision to take part in the all-party meeting, CPI(M) state secretary G. Ramakrishnan lashed out at the BJP government pointing out the Centre’s refusal to form the Cauvery Management Board.
State secretary of CPI R. Mutharasan too issued a statement on Saturday alleging that the BJP leaders are degrading the farmers’ protests adding salt to injury. He also charged the AIADMK government with suppressing protests in support of farmers. In a public meeting on April 12 to condemn the cancellation of RK Nagar bypolls, the DMK had trained its guns on AIADMK (Amma) citing the I-T raids on health minister C. Vijayabaskar and the documents seized.
While DMK principal secretary K. Duraimurugan had pinned its hopes on the BJP to unseat the AIADMK government, allies like the Congress and Muslim outfits strongly attacked the BJP and described the raids as a drama to stop the bypoll, indicating sharp differences in the alliance. However, the DMK seems to have reconciled itself to the mood of its allies, since Stalin himself had started attacking the BJP vehemently. Stalin’s declaration that the BJP would not be invited to the all party meet and strong resolutions against the BJP and AIADMK would be passed at the meeting had enthused allies like the Congress, Indian Union Muslim League and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi.
Along with other DMK allies, the two Left parties and VCK are expected to cite the BJP government’s opposition to the Supreme Court verdict to form the Cauvery Management Board and press for strong protests against the Union government. There is also a strong possibility of parties like the CPI and VCK joining the DMK in the local body elections, if the DMK functionaries agreed to accommodate them and ready to share the wards. As the Parliament elections are two years away and several changes may occur in state politics, it will be too early to predict the formation of an anti-saffron alliance headed by the DMK for 2019.
