Rumblings in DMK alliance continue

Chennai: The continuation of the VCK in the DMK-led alliance in the State came under a cloud of doubt once again on Thursday as its founder president Thol Thirumavalavan, who has been refusing to refrain the party’s deputy general secretary Aadhav Arjuna from persistently asserting the party’s right for share in power, did not rule out a tie-up with the nascent Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) in the next election.

Replying to questions from the media at Palani after visiting the famous Lord Muruga temple, Thirumavalavan said ‘wait and watch’ to a pointed query if the VCK would align with the TVK, triggering another round of speculations on the possible break in the DMK-led coalition in the State.

More than the VCK president’s refusal to rule out a tie-up with the TVK, it was his reply to the question on Aadhav Arjuna’s repeated suggestion of breaking free from the DMK if it refused to share power that gave rise to the doubt if the controversial statements of the new deputy general secretary had the tacit approval of Thirumavalavan.

Back in September, when Thirumavalavan’s grand posturing on the need for total prohibition and Aadhav Arjuna’s averments on power sharing seemingly took the ties between the allies to the brink, the relationship was salvaged by the president who changed the tenor of his demand for prohibition just before its conference at Kallakurichi on October 2 by placing the onus on the Union Government.

At that time, Thirumavalvan, when asked about the deputy general secretary’s veiled threats, also distanced himself from the controversial views by stating that capturing power had always been the VCK’s guiding principle. But on Thursday, when the same question was asked, he said that it was Aadhav Arjuna’s personal desire without clarifying if he too shared the same view.

With Aadhav Arjuna averring that the ‘dreams of Thirumavalavan’ would soon be realized and that they were expecting ‘troubles’ and that troubles alone could lead to resolutions, which was interpreted as a belligerent challenge to the DMK, many functionaries in the DMK started doubting the longevity of the alliance.

Since Aadhav Arjuna also said that the VCK now knew how to organize its propaganda and had proved it in the last six months, suggesting that it could win elections without the support of big parties, DMK leaders turned skeptical of the alliance continuing till the next elections. But other VCK leaders expressed a desire to continue in the DMK-led alliance to achieve its broader goal of preventing the BJP from winning in the elections in the State.