CHENNAI: The non-DMK non-AIADMK front that emerged in Tamil Nadu for the Lok Sabha election does indeed retain the ability to wreak havoc on the decades-old political formula of Tamil Nadus politics.
The AIADMK and DMK would certainly be wary of such a formation, as it could turn out to be an impediment to their ambitions despite the fact the sentiments of electing a national government are unlikely to change voting pattern at the State level.
The BJP-led front consisted of players who were left with nowhere else to go. The PMK and the MDMK had talked themselves into a corner which could strictly not include the Congress. Hawkish on these issues, these two parties are unlikely to be able to reconcile their positions with the Congress anytime soon.
They however face the task of keeping their flock together with the DMDK, which can be a tall order given the fact that the DMDK and PMK compete with each other for the vote of the Vanniyar community.
If they somehow manage to stay together, this grouping could cause a few headaches to the two major Dravidian parties. This was proved by the fact that the BJP-led front came runner-up in six constituencies, and came third in 29 constituencies, including South Chennai. It came fourth in one constituency and did not contest in Nilgiris. The BJP and the PMK had also won one seat each, both with substantial margins.
The grouping had scored more than the victory margin in 17 constituencies, and raked up an 18.7 percent vote share.
Numbers such as these would be enough to give any major political player a sense of foreboding while thinking of the next election on the horizon. But the real question would be over the ability of this grouping to retain the force it has displayed in these elections till the next Assembly election.
Such calculations would certainly mean the two main players on TN’s field, especially the DMK, may be expected to indulge in political manoeuvring to break the new alliance.