AIADMK battling for its survival: P Chidambaram
The Congress leader said he could not say whether the RK Nagar byelection will benefit DMK.
Chennai: Though the AIADMK Government led by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisami is battling an “undercurrent” of opposition, the results of the RK Nagar byelection might not reflect the reality since the poll is all about “police, muscle and money power”, former Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram has said.
Chidambaram, who was in Bengaluru for the launch of his book ‘Fearless in Opposition: Power and Accountability’, said the AIADMK MLAs are united only because they want to remain in power.
“The MLAs are realising that they have to stand together. If they fall out, the government will fall. But there is hardly in government and governance in Tamil Nadu because all 130 assembly members are waging a battle for survival to remain in power for the remaining term,” he said.
Predicting that there is “an undercurrent of opposition against the present dispensation”, Mr Chidambaram said the opposition might not get reflected in the byelection.
“Byelections are usually dominated by police, muscle and money power. We have to wait for the general elections to take place. That will happen when the local body elections take place,” he added.
The Congress leader said he could not say whether the RK Nagar byelection will benefit DMK, the ally of Congress, or there would be a more formal split in the AIADMK.