Chennai: In a bid to showcase the robustness of its alliance, the DMK is holding yet another meeting to celebrate the party’s 75th anniversary at Kanchipuram on September 28, Saturday, providing a platform to 20 leaders of coalition parties to come together and reaffirm their political loyalty.
With Chief Minister M K Stalin as the special speaker, the meeting will see its present allies speaking in praise of the DMK, tracing its 75 year old history and also its relevance in the present day context. But for DMK general secretary Duraimurugan, who would preside over the meeting, and those welcoming the gathering and proposing the vote of thanks it would be a stage meant for the political allies.
Apart from the leaders of the regular electoral allies who were allotted seats to contest the 2021 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha polls, a few others like G M Sridar Vandiyar of Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam, Ponkumar of Tamil Nadu Peasants and Workers Party, Ernavur Narayanan of Samathuva Makkal Kazhagm, S K Murugavelrajan of People’s Liberation Party, Thamimmun Ansari of Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi, Karunas of Mukkulathor Pulipadai, Adhiyaman of Adhi Tamizhar Peravai, Tiruppur Altaf of Tamil Nadu Muslim League and P N Ammavasi of Forward Bloc are listed as speakers.
Other prominent leaders of the parties that are part of the DMK alliance who will be addressing the meeting are K Veeramani (Dravidar Kazhagam), R Mutharasan (CPI), K Balakrishnan (CPM) K Selvaperunthogai (TNCC), Thol Thirumavalvan (VCK), M H Jawahirullah (MMK), K M Kader Moideen (IUML), Vaiko (MDMK), Kamal Hassan (Makkal Neethi Maiam), E R Easwaran (Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi) and T Velmurugan (TVK).
The meeting is seen as an attempt to reinforce the alliance that was presumed to be on shaky ground when VCK leader launched a campaign to promote the anti-liquor conference planned by the women’s wing of his party at Kallakurichi on October 2 since he had attacked the DMK government for not bringing in total prohibition in the State.
Since the continuous tirade that even saw Thirumavalvan averring to sacrifice the alliance in the interest of temperance in the State at a time when the Chief Minister was on an official tour of the United States to bring in industrial investments to the State, television news channels and social media started speculating on the VCK preparing the ground to walk out of the DMK-led alliance using the anti-liquor stand as a pretext.
With Thirumavalavan giving an open invitation to the AIADMK to take part in the anti-liquor conference to add impetus to the demand for the eradication of alcohol and narcotics and some AIADMK leaders responding positively, a political realignment was predicted for the 2026 Assembly polls.
But it all turned out to be a damp squib when a VCK delegation called on the Chief Minister on his return to Chennai and handed over a memorandum urging the State government to pass a resolution in the Assembly urging the Union Government to bring in total prohibition.
Perhaps to keep the flock together in the coalition, the DMK decided to have the meeting at Kanchipuram though it had organized another celebration to mark the 75th anniversary of the party’s founding on Tuesday.
