Congress sees no strain in ties with DMK

The central leadership of the Congress is confident of the party’s position in Tamil Nadu and sees no danger of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) pulling the plug on its alliance because of the 2G scam raids on premises linked to DMK members. In the 235-member Assembly, the DMK has 99 MLAs and the Congress has 34.

However, the state Congress morale is at a low ebb.

As the assembly elections are due early next year, Congress managers in Delhi are not expecting DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Karunanidhi to take any extreme measure and snap ties. Both parties have maintained that the 2G investigations will not dampen their relations.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union minister and Congress general secretary in-charge of Tamil Nadu, today denied any report of rift between the two parties. Karunanidhi’s daughter, Kanimozhi, who’s also in the eye of the 2G storm, said the ties will not be affected.

A top Congress manager, closely in touch with the political developments related to the 2G scam, told Business Standard that: “Congress is the kingmaker in Tamil Nadu. Without the Congress support, neither AIADMK nor DMK can form the government. Karunanidhi is a veteran politician who understands this ground situation very well.”

When Raja’s Delhi bungalow was raided, T R Balu, Karunanidhi’s key aide and the leader of the DMK in the Lok Sabha, met several Congress leaders to understand what was going on. According to sources, he was told that investigations could not stop and if innocent, no one should fear.

The Congress’ internal assessment about the upcoming Tamil Nadu polls is that if J Jayalalithaa ties up with Third Front partners, it could be a tough fight for the DMK. “This also means that Karunanidhi needs the Congress more than the Congress needs him,” said a senior Congress manager.

“Remember, the Congress already had feelers from Jayalalithaa that she is ready for an alliance with the Congress for the forthcoming assembly election. If the DMK decides to snap ties, not only it will lose its government in Tamil Nadu and ministerial berths at the Centre, but it might lead to an alliance between the Congress and Jayalalithaa. And that’s something Karunanidhi will never like to see,” added the source.

However, the party’s Tamil Nadu unit is in an agony of indecision. “We cannot defend DMK – and by extension, ourselves – because we are together. We would like to attack corruption but we can’t. There is a tipping point, beyond which silence becomes politically counterproductive. We are fast approaching that point,” said a source in the state unit.

The Congress believes that Karunanidhi is caught between two factions of his family. He would like to listen to the counsel of his sons and dump Raja. But “an overdose or a suicide attempt may follow”, said these sources. Although it is still a rivulet, the film fraternity – which is a big player in Tamil Nadu politics, especially during election campaigns – seems to be in favour of the Jayalalithaa alliance.