Chennai: The high-decibel electioneering in Tamil Nadu found a fresh missile for exchange of fire - AMMK propaganda secretary Thanga Tamilselvan declaring in Theni on Tuesday that the DMK would have to support his party to send the Edappadi Government packing home.
"Haven't we been saying all along there's secret relationship between the two parties, that the AMMK is just the 'B' team of the DMK?" was the refrain in the AIADMK camp, with Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami declaring at his poll campaign that the 'cat is out of the bag now'.
AIADMK senior KP Munusamy told reporters at Madurai that Tamilselvan's statement has proved the suspicion that always existed: DMK president Stalin is holding secret parleys with AMMK to somehow topple the Edappadi Government. "They will never succeed", insisted the former AIADMK minister.
In fact, Thanga Tamilselvan did not say anything spectacular to cause such 'excitement' and 'alarm' in the enemy camp. There was no carte blanche to the DMK to take charge of the 'demolition Edappadi' mission with help from TTV; on the other hand, the AMMK man had the 'temerity' to suggest that Stalin and his DMK should support his party to unseat the AIADMK Government because the AMMK would win all the 22 Assembly seats in the by-elections. That meant the DMK would win none.
Political observers feel that Tamilselvan could have made that statement in Theni only to create some confusion in both the DMK and the AIADMK camps. He must be buoyed after the Supreme Court ordered the interim stay of the disqualification notice from Assembly Speaker to the three AIADMK legislators for supporting TTV.
At his Theni media interaction, Tamilselvan had declared that the ongoing elections are for sending the AIADMK Government packing home. And then came a question: 'If the AIADMK is sent home, will the DMK not come to power?' The AMMK leader shot back: "How will the DMK come to power after we win all the (22) seats?"
Now he got down to explaining his statement. "Since we will win all the 22 seats, we can send this (AIADMK) government packing only if the DMK and we join up (in confidence vote). After that there will be elections and we will win the majority and give Amma's governance to the people".
If the DMK does not support the confidence vote that would be brought against the Edappadi Government by the AMMK, "then that would mean the DMK is scared of us". On the other hand, it would be politically wise for the DMK to support the confidence vote because the DMK cannot come to power on its own numbers and so this "is the only chance to send this government packing home", insisted Tamilselvan.
It may be mentioned here that his boss TTV has been saying multiple times that his party would never join hands with the DMK because the sentiment against that party ran deep among all the followers of MGR and Jayalalithaa. But then, all is fair in love and war, and in Dravidian politics.
