But for a squirmish justification, there is a calm after the storm that was seemingly threatening to blow apart the
DMK-led alliance in the State for some time over the Congress party’s desire to share power after the Assembly elections. Power indeed should be the quest of every political party and for the Congress it should be a natural trait given the fact that the party ruled India for so many years. But the latest failed attempt by the national party to squeeze into the State ministry through veiled intimidation and loud noise on social media only indicated that the party was not in sync with the political realities and trends in the State.
Those who were following the spat that erupted after Congress national leaders from outside the State expressed significant confidence over the party’s latest growth in the State should be wondering what is happening in the alliance. The Congress wanted to contest in more seats than that would be offered by alliance leader, the DMK, in the coming Assembly election. The precise questions that should arise are: If the DMK and Congress are not together, how will they fight the NDA that has consolidated itself in the State now by roping in more parties, irrespective of their political relevance and popularity.
Well, to hazard a guess, based on evidence, the Congress has not drifted away from the DMK, as it was suspected. In fact it even looks that the Congress now wants to fortify the ties after Chief Minister M K Stalin categorically ruled out the possibility of a coalition government in Tamil Nadu, which has lately become the main aspiration of the Congress. Though top national level honchos did not react to Stalin’s putting an end to the exchanges and debates that gave the impression of the decade long alliance being pushed to the precipice, it is back to normal in the coalition since the TNCC chief K Selvaperunthagai lauded the DMK government for paying Rs 5000 to beneficiaries of the Kalaignar Magalir Urumani Thogai scheme.
While many opposition political parties sought to attribute motives to the government move to deposit three months of assistance and an additional Rs 2000 as summer allowance in one go in the bank accounts of the women beneficiaries without much ado, the TNCC, in reminiscence of the halcyon days of a friendly era just appreciated it and also eulogized the government for so many other things that it had done. That sends across the message that Selvaperunthagai wants to mend fences with the DMK and maintain status quo in the alliance but that cannot be taken as the denouement to the controversy since it was first of all ignited by other leaders having nothing to do with the TNCC.
As political observers are aware of, leaders in the Congress party never speak in one voice unless the issue concerns the party’s first family, and they take different lines in political issues, which actually is a hallowed tradition or rather the accepted style of functioning. So unless the highest command of the party puts an end to the debate with a firm decision, the cacophony will continue at various levels and different platforms. But what has been resolved is that the Congress would not vie for berths in the Ministry if the DMK-Congress alliance romps home in the elections. So the question might arise if the Congress would not break free from the DMK coalition and help the TVK form a government.
For one, there is no guarantee that the TVK will win the polls if it were to contest with the support of any party, be it the Congress or anything else. In fact, some have raised a doubt if the TVK was prepared to fight a full-fledged Assembly elections by finding candidates to field in the 234 constituencies and then take up the State-wide campaign. Though that might not be a problem given its army of supporters in every nook and cranny of the State, who would be able to easily popularize the ‘whistle’ symbol by blowing it loud, how they will garner votes from the public is a mystery. Have the matured voters of the State found any merit in voting for a party that has so far not revealed what it stood for – naming a few political icons as policy guides does not spell out the party’s exact agenda – when its leader has not spoken of issues that impact the lives of people. Repeated goofing up by the publicity department of the party in presenting its leader as a worthy alternative to the other leaders has been only detrimental to its image.
Like when other leaders of rival parties come on stage to boldly answer questions raised by journalists and other panelists at conclaves organized by media houses, the TVK makes a fool of itself by making its leader pose for a group photo with those known for shooting probing questions before whirring cameras and then those probing journalists talking among themselves about the ‘interview’ making a farce of journalism itself. Perhaps the new generation of voters who form the vote bank, support base and everything else like the audience for Vijay might not find anything amiss with such an unique media ‘interaction’ of their leader with television journalists, talking among themselves. But will such a party be acceptable to the Congress and its supporters?
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
