Chennai: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami addressing the rally of Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDPI) on Sunday in Madurai might be a harbinger for an electoral alliance between the two parties and help the AIADMK regain its old secular credentials that were lost during its long association with the BJP as a political ally.
That the SDPI, which was toying with the idea of aligning with the DMK just about seven months ago, had now invited Palaniswami for its ‘let secularism win’ conference is an indicator of the AIADMK managing to convince sections of the minorities that it had indeed severed ties with the BJP despite the DMK’s consistent campaign that the two parties had not parted ways and that it was only a gimmick to gain political acceptance.
Already Palanisami had addressed two Christian meetings, one during the Christmas season and the other one earlier, and had started projecting himself as a champion of secularism, evoking old memories of the goodwill the AIADMK enjoyed with minorities during the time of MGR and J Jayalaithaa.
Soon after the AIADMK announced that it was walking out of the NDA and breaking the alliance with the BJP forever in September last, it had been scouting for allies to strengthen its position in the political arena. The party was keen on shedding the image that it gained through its alliance with the BJP, which was forged following the passing away of Jayalalithaa and when the party was in power in Tamil Nadu.
With Palaniswami taking up the issue relating to the government reneging in the release of life prisoners from the Muslim community who are languishing in jail for a long time in the State Assembly, the SDPI first reached out to him in October itself. SDPI State President Nellai Mubarak and other office-bearers called on Palaniswami.
Other parties like the AIMIM of Asadudin Owaisi and Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi (MJK) of Thamimum Ansari, too, had called on Palaniswami at that time. But the bonhomie did not consolidate into a proper electoral alliances.
Now that the SDPI has gone a step ahead and AIMIM, too, is reportedly planning to organize a meeting at Vellore with Palaniswami as the guest, it looks that the AIADMK might regain friends among the Muslim parties.
The SDPI, which fought the previous elections as an ally of the AMMK of T T V Dinakaran, had evinced interest in joining hands with the DMK earlier. Even the party’s principal secretary and Minister for Local Administration K N Nehru had hinted at a future alliance. But things did not move further, probably because the DMK did not want to lose its present allies the IUML and MMK.
In an earlier occasion about a year ago, when the DMK wanted to invite Owaisi for an event organized by it in Chennai, both the IUML and MMK had opposed the move, forming the DMK to rescind the invitation and thus invoking the wrath of Owaisi.
So, it is natural that those parties are now trying to align with the AIADMK, which has a strong base in the State and had the wherewithal to fight a general election.
