PMK quits UPA, Congress unfazed

After losing two major allies — Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal — in the Hindi-heartland, the Congress today received a jolt in south India, as the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) parted ways with the UPA and joined rival J Jayalalitha’s camp, the AIADMK. The Congress tried to put up a brave face, saying the estranged allies will all come back to the alliance after the Lok Sabha elections.

But what could make Sonia Gandhi worry — amidst the dwindling stocks of the DMK-Congress combination — is her party’s inability to rope in “Captain” Vijaykanth’s DMDK in Tamil Nadu as a fresh ally. Negotiation with Vijaykanth was first initiated by Home Minister P Chidambaram a few months ago.

The two sides even discussed a possible share of seats last week in Delhi, but couldn’t reach an agreement. Actor-turned politician Vijaykanth today announced that his party will go alone in the elections.

Tamil Nadu, along with Puducherry, consists of 40 Lok Sabha seats and its results can be crucial in the formation of the next government. In the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance of the state, consisting of itself, Congress, PMK, CPI and CPI(M) won all the 40 seats.

Given the habit of the PMK to switch over to the other side before the elections, the Congress leaders claim they knew its southern ally would quit the alliance.

The top PMK leader, S Ramadoss, today targeted the ruling DMK for “offending” his party. “Our party cadres overwhelmingly voted for AIADMK in our general council meeting because they were offended by the DMK leaders at all levels,” Ramadoss said at Chennai after holding an internal referendum on alliance.

As overwhelming majority of PMK General Council members favoured joining hands with Jayalalitha’s AIADMK. The PMK chief announced that his ministers in the UPA government will quit. Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and R Velu, Minister of State for Railways, are expected to send their resignations in two days. Jayalalitha will leave seven seats for the PMK.