Alliance Talks Heat Up in Tamil Nadu
Political circles in Tamil Nadu are buzzing with activity as preliminary discussions begin between factions. The PMK group led by founder S Ramadoss is exploring a potential alliance with the DMK camp for the upcoming assembly elections. This development comes just months before voters head to the polls, signaling intensified political maneuvering across the state.
VCK Leader Voices Strong Opposition
VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan has taken a firm stand against these alliance talks. He clearly stated his objection to PMK joining the DMK-led fold. "PMK spearheads hate politics against dalits, especially VCK," Thirumavalavan told reporters. "We have maintained a firm position for fourteen years against any alliance that includes both PMK and BJP."
DMK sources revealed they reached out to Thirumavalavan last week through intermediaries. They wanted to gauge his reaction to potentially accommodating the PMK faction within their alliance. The VCK leader acknowledged receiving this information but remained cautious in his response.
"It is only information to me," Thirumavalavan explained. "I remain silent since it is not confirmed that DMK has decided to include PMK. Therefore, I don't have to comment at this stage."
Historical Context and Current Tensions
The relationship between these parties has a complicated history. VCK and PMK last contested together under the DMK alliance during the 2011 assembly election. While PMK secured three seats in that election, VCK failed to win any. Interestingly, VCK had previously honored PMK founder Ramadoss with the title 'Ambedkar Sudar'.
Thirumavalavan emphasized that his party's position remains unchanged. He sees no distinction between Ramadoss and his son Anbumani when it comes to their political approach. The VCK leader made it clear he finds no reason to reconsider his party's long-standing opposition to both PMK and BJP.
"The decision regarding Ramadoss rests solely with DMK, not VCK," he stated firmly.
Political Calculations and Realignments
DMK's outreach occurs amid growing uncertainty within PMK about continuing with the NDA alliance. This confusion has prompted rival political camps to carefully assess how any realignment might impact the electoral landscape. In Villupuram, Ramadoss told journalists he hasn't yet decided about remaining part of NDA.
Thirumavalavan criticized both PMK and BJP for what he described as caste-based and communal politics. He argued that social engineering represents their primary political strategy. "BJP uses hate politics against Muslims and Christians to consolidate the Hindu majority," he alleged. "PMK's strategy involves consolidating vanniyars and non-vanniyars."
Allegations of Past Incidents
The VCK leader pointed to specific incidents to support his claims. He referenced the 2012 Dharmapuri caste-violence incident as evidence of these strategies. Thirumavalavan alleged PMK played a role in setting fire to three dalit colonies following an inter-caste marriage between a dalit and a vanniyar, who belong to an influential OBC community.
He further accused Ramadoss of initiating hate campaigns against dalits. According to Thirumavalavan, Ramadoss claimed dalit youth were adopting modern attire like sunglasses, T-shirts, and jeans to lure young girls for marriage. "Ramadoss formed a non-dalit movement consisting of various caste organizations against dalits, especially VCK," he stated.
The VCK leader alleged Ramadoss traveled across Tamil Nadu provoking non-dalit youths against VCK to prevent inter-caste marriages. He connected these actions to the 2015 murder of dalit youth Gokulraj, calling it an outcome of PMK's social engineering efforts.
As election season approaches, these political dynamics continue to evolve. The potential alliance between PMK and DMK faces significant hurdles, primarily from VCK's unwavering opposition. All parties are carefully calculating their next moves in what promises to be a closely watched electoral contest.
