PMK exits UPA, ministers resign from Cabinet

Having jumped ship from the K Karunanidhi-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), led by Jayalalithaa, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) decided to exit the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre as well. Its two ministers — Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and Minister of State for Railways, R Velu — resigned from their posts in the Union government and pledged to strengthen the hands of Jayalalithaa.

Meanwhile, in Chennai, Jayalalithaa gave the PMK seven Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat from Tamil Nadu,bringing the politics of the PMK to a full circle.

It was in 1998 that the PMK first contested the Lok Sabha elections in the polls that saw Jayalalithaa supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In 1998, the AIADMK won 30 out of 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and the PMK, which contested the elections as an ally of the BJP, won four.

While Jayalalithaa pulled out of the BJP-led NDA, the PMK continued in the alliance, supporting the BJP. In the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in 2001, although the AIADMK was defeated, the Tamil Maanila Congress, the Left parties and the PMK contested as a front and won four seats. In 2004, the PMK allied with the DMK and the Congress. It was given six seats, it won all.

This time, it has jumped ship again and joined the Jayalalithaa front getting a bonus seat. It will now contest seven seats, which are Sriperumbudur, Arakkonam, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Chidambaram, Dharmapuri and Puducherry. There is an understanding between the two parties that one seat in the Rajya Sabha, where the PMK has Anbumani Ramadoss as its member, will also be given to the party.

The AIADMK chief said, “Talks are going on with the other alliance partners. Agreement will be reached in one or two days. The PMK is very much a part of the AIADMK front. We have entered into an alliance and this is now an unbeatable winning combination. As to how successful the alliance will be, can be proved only after the election results.”

Anbumani Ramadoss is quitting the cabinet after a tumultuous tenure marked by relentless crusade to enforce a ban on smoking and marred by several controversies including a bitter row to oust former AIIMS Director Dr P Venugopal and wordy duels with Bollywood stars on drinking and smoking in films.