PMK in TN divided over alliance in LS polls

Chennai, March 11 (IANS) The political arm of the powerful Vanniyar community, the PMK is divided over stitching an alliance in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

PMK founder leader Dr. S. Ramadoss prefers an alliance with the AIADMK while his son and party state president Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss wants a tie-up with the BJP.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and AIADMK were part of the NDA of which PMK was also a member. However, in September 2023, AIADMK snapped its alliance with the BJP. This created confusion in the PMK and the party is now vertically divided between the two power centres of father and son.

Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss is for the BJP alliance as the party had offered him a Union Cabinet Minister post while his father Dr. Ramadoss wants an AIADMK alliance as it would be a better bet to establish in Tamil Nadu by the 2026 Assembly elections.

The AIADMK has offered the PMK 12 Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat while the BJP, according to party sources, had not committed on the number of seats.

With elections likely to be announced by this week, the PMK, which has a deep support base in Western and Central Tamil Nadu, will have to take a decision soon on the alliance peference.

George Vargheese, political analyst and psephologist while speaking to IANS said, "BJP should somehow keep the PMK in its fold as the party is representing a powerful community like the Vanniyars and in terms of social engineering it will be a major political move. AIADMK, according to my information, is now at an upper hand as far as deal with PMK is concerned as beyond a point, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss will not oppose his father, Dr. S. Ramadoss. “

He also said that PMK would be a good bet for the BJP for its future forays in Tamil politics.