CHENNAI: The DMK, which struggled to get allies in the 2016 Assembly elections, has started building an alliance on anti-BJP platform and functionaries are keen to keep up the tempo till the local body elections and further strengthen it. After the success of April 25 bandh with the support of Congress, Left and VCK, the DMK continues to hit out at the BJP on issues like the Cauvery and Hindi imposition. Besides statements attacking the saffron party, DMK working president M.K. Stalin's recorded speech against alleged Hindi imposition is being telecast by party’s TV channel 'Kalaignar TV' every hour for the last five days.
The fear of anti-saffron parties that the BJP is trying to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu using the split in the AIADMK has also come handy to the DMK's efforts to build a front. The Congress and Muslim outfits like the Indian Union Muslim League and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi have been part of the DMK alliance in 2016. The Left parties and VCK are jointly working with the DMK on the farmers issue and there are clear signs that new parties will come into the DMK front.
Though, Stalin remained non-committal to calls for alliance when he shared the dais with the Left parties after eight years at a public meeting on April 22, he indicated that he is not averse to forming an alliance with parties which supported the strike. Stalin said "Though, the parties did not join hands for electoral victory, they could be the alliance to pave way for change of government in Tamil Nadu if an election is imposed by the ruling party".
On April 22 public meeting, the Left parties responded positively to DK president K. Veeramani's suggestion for an alliance against the BJP and TNCC president S. Thirunavukkarasar went a step further and said "This meeting is like a betrothal and wedding will soon follow since there are circumstances and necessities for such an alliance".
The CPM and CPI which were in alliance with the DMK in the 2004 Parliament elections and 2006 Assembly elections, parted with the UPA on the US nuclear deal. They joined the AIADMK front in 2009 and remained with it in the 2011 Assembly elections. It contested on its own in the 2014 Parliament elections and formed an alternate front in the 2016 Assembly elections. The DMK's previous attempt in October 2016 to bring the Left parties and VCK to the all party meeting failed since they were part of the People's Welfare Alliance.
