PWA alliance won't affect our electoral prospects: DMK

Chennai: Putting up a brave front, the DMK on Wednesday rejected suggestions that the alliance between DMDK and People’s Welfare Alliance would have adverse impact on the DMK’s electoral prospects. But, most  analysts feel, the new alliance would open three-way race in the May 16 Assembly elections and adversely impact  DMK’s chances to regain power.

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The birth of ‘Captain Vijayakanth alliance’ has cleared the confusion in the alliance scenario in the State and paved the way for a four or five-cornered contest.

The birth of ‘Captain Vijayakanth alliance’ has cleared the confusion in the alliance scenario in the State and paved the way for a four or five-cornered contest. Political analysts see exciting possibilities now and say such a situation has emerged after the 1989 Assembly elections when there was a four-cornered fight between the DMK,  two factions of AIADMK and Congress.

However,  DMK leaders did not see any impact due to the new alliance. Reacting to a query, DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin said “We are not watching any other alliance developments. We are concentrating on our election work”. When asked about the impact of the new alliance on DMK, he shot back, saying “What impact?”.

However, analysts feel the new alliance would be strong enough to impact the chances of DMK, in most of the seats, since a few thousand votes would make a huge difference in Assembly polls. Political analyst Karl Marx said  “This is a new scenario in Tamil Nadu politics. The Captain Vijayakanth alliance would be strong enough to avert chances of a straight contest and make the fight triangular. The BJP and PMK can also be losers as the new alliance will be seen as the real alternative”.

Some analysts see a similarity between NDA front in 2014 Parliamentary elections and the formation of PWA-Vijayakanth alliance.  Political commentator Badri Seshadri said “This is similar to NDA in 2014. Here, BJP had been replaced by Left parties and  PMK with Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. In my assessment, this alliance can get around 20 per cent votes and has the capability to win about 40 seats. A hung Assembly is possible. Even if AIADMK gets a majority, there will be a new opposition front that can challenge the DMK’s place in State politics”, he said.

DMK spokesperson Thamizhan Prasanna went further back and compared the 1971 Assembly elections with the present scenario. The DMK did not have any allies except the newly formed Indira Congress then, while other opposition parties have formed a big coalition. The DMK was written off, but it swept the polls, he recalled.