Chennai: Alliance talks with the DMDK "are going ahead smoothly" and a positive announcement would announced "in two or three days", AIADMK convener and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said on Sunday. The AIADMK-BJP team would have more allies joining in and a final picture would emerge soon, OPS told reporters at Madurai.
In Chennai, DMDK treasurer Premalatha has announced that while several political leaders and parties have got in touch with her husband and party chief 'Captain' Vijayakanth since his return from the U.S. a few days ago, he would take the 'right decision' in consultation with the party seniors in the next few days on forging alliance for the ensuring Lok Sabha elections.
"We will accept an alliance that offers us seats in commensurate with our cadre strength and political standing", she told reporters after holding a meeting of DMDK district functionaries at the party headquarters on Sunday. "The DMDK should not be judged by its performance in the last election", Premalatha insisted, warning that the party would hesitate to go it alone if it did not the right offer of seats.
"The world has witnessed how many leaders called on Captain in recent days", she said sounding 'super-confident' if not 'arrogant' in proclaiming 'to the world' how important her husband has become in the present fragile political scenario.
And it would be naïve to pass off those meetings as mere acts of civility to wish good health for Captain - he had undergone medical treatment in the U.S and did not seem fit for poll campaign -Premalatha said, pointing out that Congress senior Su. Thirunavukarasar had openly admitted to the political content of his calling on Captain on Thursday.
BJP leader Piyush Goyal had gone to Captain's abode with a bouquet of flowers on Tuesday (February 19), superstar Rajinikanth had visited on Friday (Feb 22) and the DMK president MK Stalin dropped in shortly afterwards. In short, all roads suddenly seemed leading to Saligramam, despite the deep downslide in the DMDK vote share to 2.4 per cent in the 2016 Assembly polls (nil score) from 7.88 per cent in 2011. Things can only be worse now as the party chief does not seem to be in any great shape to undertake active campaigning.
Nevertheless, the DMDK decision on alliance remains the focal point for all media discussions, particularly on the Tamil TV channels that seem to have some influence over the public perception; so much so, all the main political leaders on both sides of the Dravidian divide are forced to make statements of 'hope' that Captain would swing their way, whenever the mikes are thrust under their nose before the cameras.
