While the letter he addressed to DMDK president Vijayakant on Tuesday cited indifferent health as the reason for his retirement from active politics, veteran politician and the party’s presidium chairman, Panruti S Ramachandran, opened up to Express in an interview with Sruthisagar Yamunan on his perceptions about the party. Excerpts:
Did you inform about your decision to retire from active politics to your party president any time before Tuesday?
No. I felt he might not agree and would want me to continue. My doctors wanted me to take complete rest. So I resigned on health grounds.
You said your advice not to contest Delhi elections was not heeded to by the party. What about the 2011 TN Assembly elections? Were you happy with DMDK joining hands with AIADMK?
I was instrumental in the alliance taking shape. I took all the efforts for it. It benefited us and we became the main opposition.
The DMDK parted ways with the AIADMK after that. Were you okay with how the break happened?
The DMDK leadership thought that the party could grow only by criticising the CM. I could not go with that perception. I told the leadership that such a strategy will only help the DMK and will not benefit the DMDK.
Is not criticism the job of the opposition party?
You have to see the scenario in which the party became the opposition. We contested the election with the AIADMK as a partner. Constructive criticism is the job of the opposition. But I felt the strategy the party was actually following had more to do with corner the chief minister. This is something I did not agree to. The idea that you could capture power by always criticising the current government is wrong. This would have only benefited the DMK.
You have said in earlier interviews that the aim of the DMDK was to become an alternative to the AIADMK and the DMK. Why then did you help create an alliance with the AIADMK?
I was of the opinion that the DMDK had not grown strong enough to contest alone. Ideally, it could have been the right thing to do. But politically, I was of the opinion it was not viable. The pact helped the party.
Do you think the DMDK is moving towards the DMK?
It doesn’t seem so. But now it is for them to decide. I’ve retired and have nothing to say (laughs).
Do you feel the DMDK too has gone the DMK way with regard to domination of Vijayakant’s members in the party?
Which party has not? You can say the same thing about Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. This is the order of the day.
Is the presence of Vijayakant’s family a reason for your comment that the good perception of the people about the DMDK has dipped?
As long as MGR was alive, he did not bring Janaki Ramachandran into politics. It was only after his death that she made her entry.
Could you elaborate on your take on the DMDK contesting the Delhi Assembly elections?
I advised against contesting in Delhi and in Yercaud. They listened to me with regard to Yercaud but not Delhi. I said so as I believed we would not get votes.
The DMDK was started with the aim of becoming an alternative. Can it fulfill that role?
For that, the current style of leadership should change. The Lok Sabha elections would be an indicator. All I can say is that the good perception of the people about DMDK has gone down.
Seven MLAs have revolted against the leadership. How will your exit impact the party?
I cannot talk for them. But I think my exit will not affect the party much. I am retiring on health grounds and I feel when I can’t achieve what I want, there is no point in continuing.
You have invested eight years of your political life with the DMDK. Are you satisfied with the returns?
Politics is like agriculture. The harvest will be good one year and might not be so in the next. But farming has to go on!
Does that mean you will have another harvest?
(Laughs) I cannot say anything on that.