PC Vinoj Kumar
Chennai

Tamil Nadu cm Jayalalithaa’s remarks in Delhi recently that she had not made personalised attacks against Congress president Sonia Gandhi has led to speculations on whether the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (aiadmk) is making moves towards the Congress.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (dmk) president M. Karunanidhi has taken the speculations seriously. He feels attempts are being made to create a rift between the Congress and his party. “But it will not succeed,” he declared. “There is no scope for the Congress and the aiadmk to come together in the near future,” says Congress mp, BS Gnanadesikan.

Congress leaders have not forgotten Jayalalithaa’s remarks against Sonia during the Lok Sabha campaign. Jayalalithaa had accused the Congress chief of betraying Rajiv Gandhi by aligning with the dmk. She had called Sonia a “foreigner” and “a half-baked politician”.

Every constituent of the Democratic Progressive Alliance (dpa) has a reason to oppose Jayalalithaa, says a leader of the conglomerate. “Jayalalithaa is our common enemy. We will stay together till she is defeated,” he says. To the Left parties she is anti-working class, to the Congress she is anti-Sonia, and to the Indian Union Muslim League she is anti-Muslim. She detained Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (mdmk) leader Vaiko under pota and taunted the Pattali Makkal Katchi (pmk) for its pro-ltte stance, he points out.

dpa leaders echo his views. pmk leader Dr S. Ramadoss dismisses talk of a political realignment as a ‘‘mirage’’. mdmk leader Vaiko says Jayalalithaa’s attempts to create confusion among the people “will not cut ice”. The Left parties have a similar view. “Congress will not trust Jayalalithaa. The dpa will face the Assembly elections together,” asserts R. Nallakannu, state cpi secretary. On the other hand, those who predict a split in the dpa at some point of time before the Assembly elections point out that real test would come during the seat-sharing talks. “The pmk and Congress would definitely demand a coalition government in the state on the lines of the upa government at the Centre,” says an aiadmk leader, who also points out the uneasy relationship between the dmk and mdmk. The two parties parted ways during the 2001 Assembly elections, due to hitches in seat sharing.

On speculation about the aiadmk’s change of heart, party mp Dr V. Maitreyan says, “Our leader is very clear that alliances will be decided only at the time of elections. She will take an appropriate decision at that time.”