Chennai: The dilemma is whether to wait for the doors of Poes Garden to open or to knock at the doors of People’s Welfare Alliance? The TMC chief, G. K. Vasan seems to be pondering over these options as pressure mounts on him from his party men on him to take a quick decision on alliance.
A day after AIADMK virtually shut its doors on TMC for an alliance in the Assembly elections, Vasan was at the party’s headquarters at Teynampet for a few hours holding “important discussions” with senior party leaders. The TMC was hoping for an alliance with AIADMK, which had on Monday announced
it would contest 227 seats and allotted the remaining seven seats to junior alliance partners who would also contest on the “two leaves” symbol. TMC leaders say the party is left with only two options – reopen communication channels with AIADMK or accept MDMK leader Vaiko’s invitation to join People’s Welfare Alliance (PWA) – and that a decision has to be taken promptly as a late decision would demoralise the cadre further.
With speculation mounting that several party leaders are mulling a switch to their parent party Congress, which has clinched a 41-seat deal with DMK, Vasan also deliberated on the option of going with PWA “to protect the individual identity of the party.” Sources said Vasan also discussed the fallout of the AIADMK list with party leaders and asked them to “have patience for a few more days” till a final decision on the alliance is taken. “Every party is involved in election preparedness.
Likewise, TMC is also involved in the process. A decision on alliance would be announced in the next few days. Once that is finalised, we will release the list of constituencies and candidates soon,” Vasan told reporters. Party sources say the communication channel with AIADMK can be reopened, but the party’s biggest worry is on the number of seats that would be allocated. “If we are offered less than 15 seats, then it would be a loss of face for the party.”
Political analysts feel Vasan would find it extremely difficult to keep his flock together if his party does not find place in a strong alliance like AIADMK or DMK.
