Grin and bear it

IT is a curious kind of divorce proceedings that are under way between the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Relations between the two constituents of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) have remained strained since November 2010 when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made Communications and Information Technology Minister A. Raja of the DMK resign from the Union Cabinet in the wake of the 2G spectrum scam. A further downturn in the ties happened when Kanimozhi, the DMK's Rajya Sabha member and daughter of party president M. Karunanidhi, was arrested on May 20 for her alleged role in the 2G spectrum scandal and remanded in judicial custody in Tihar jail. On July 7, the DMK's Dayanidhi Maran resigned as Union Textiles Minister for his alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum issue when he was Communications and Information Technology Minister in the previous UPA regime.

The nominal relationship that existed between the DMK and the Congress worsened further when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) searched the residences of Dayanidhi Maran and Kalanidhi Maran, his elder brother and Sun Network managing director, and Sun TV's offices, in Chennai on October 11. The searches relating to the 2G issue were in connection with a case arising out of the Aircel-Maxis deal. Dayanidhi and Kalanidhi are the sons of the late Murasoli Maran, a former Union Minister and a nephew of Karunanidhi.

Finding itself in an unenviable position, the DMK has evolved a strategy of staying with the alliance at the Centre but ending the partnership with the Congress in Tamil Nadu. The compulsion to hold hands with the Congress at the Centre stems from the fear that Karunanidhi's son and Union Chemicals Minister M.K. Alagiri will become vulnerable to the onslaught of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in the State if the DMK pulls out of the UPA government. Besides, the DMK does not want to antagonise the Congress until Kanimozhi gets bail.

The DMK's strategy became evident when Karunanidhi announced on September 14 that the party would go it alone in the local body elections, which were slated to be held on October 17 and 19. On that day CBI officers had questioned Dayanidhi for about five hours in New Delhi on the Aircel-Maxis deal, the alleged irregularities in the 2G spectrum allocation and the allegations levelled against Dayanidhi by the former Aircel owner, C. Sivasankaran. The CBI had questioned Kalanidhi on September 12 on the same issue.

Explaining why the DMK had decided to go it alone in the local body elections, Karunanidhi said the party had formed an alliance with the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections [in 2004 and 2009] to enable the establishment of a progressive government at the Centre and the alliance continued for the Assembly elections of 2011 to form a democratic government in the State. Besides, he was keen that communal and anti-humanitarian power centres should not gain strength. Since the local body elections will not be fought on political and ideological basis but on issues such as civic infrastructure, education and medical facilities, the DMK took a considered decision not to forge an alliance. But the party will have electoral alliances for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, he said.

The DMK's decision had an unexpected effect. The Congress remained silent on its support to the DMK candidate, K.N. Nehru, for the byelection to the Tiruchi West Assembly constituency, which was held on October 13. The DMK paid the Congress back in the same coin. Its cadre did not campaign for the Congress candidate, A.K.T. Aroumougam, in the Assembly byelection in the Indira Nagar constituency in Puducherry.

In a significant development, former State Congress president K.V. Thangkabalu announced on October 12 that the Congress would contest the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the State alone as in the local body elections. He told reporters that the long-cherished desire of Congress workers in the State that the party should contest alone had been fulfilled now. Thangkabalu said: We forged alliances with the regional parties to block communal parties from coming to power. Henceforth, the Congress will contest all elections alone. We did not contest the Tiruchi West byelection because we wanted to respect alliance dharma. Congress workers know whom to vote for there.

It is not clear whether the Congress high command had permitted Thangkabalu to make such a statement. Informed political observers said Thangkabalu, who was perceived to have a soft corner for the DMK, would not have been so outspoken without the approval of the high command.

The DMK is worried that Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is unhappy with Raja's demand in the trial court that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram be made witnesses in the 2G case. Raja had claimed that Manmohan Singh was aware of the fixing of prices for spectrum allocation. Sonia Gandhi is reported to have expressed her displeasure to T.R. Baalu, the DMK's parliamentary party leader, when he met her on September 23. Besides, she did not give a direct reply to Baalu when he told her that Karunanidhi was keen on meeting her following her return from the United States after undergoing medical treatment there.

If the DMK is in a quandary about ending its relationship with the Congress, the latter is in a bind too. It needs the support of the 18 DMK MPs to stay in power. We have other problems. We have to settle the Telengana issue. The Congress MPs from the Telangana region are keen that the Speaker accept their resignations. And then there is Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement to tackle, a Congress leader said. For now it is grin and bear it for the DMK and the Congress.

Meanwhile, the political situation in Tamil Nadu has taken an interesting turn, with the AIADMK and the DMK totally isolated. They have no major political partners for the panchayat elections. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) headed by Vijayakant, the Puthiya Tamizhagam and the Manitha Neya Makkal Katchi have walked out of the AIADMK-led alliance, which was cemented for the Assembly elections held in April. Similarly, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and the Viduthalai Siruthaigal Katchi (Dalit Panthers) have withdrawn from the DMK-led alliance.

T.S. Subramanian