The Hindu : Discontent brewing in PMK

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 05, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Discontent brewing in PMK

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI Aug. 4. With the PMK strongman and Member of Parliament, P.T. Ilangovan, making known his dissatisfaction with the party leadership, the PMK looks set for a spell of troubled times.

Mr. Ilangovan and his brother, P.T. Arulmozhi, have formed the backbone of the party from its Vanniar Sangham days, but both feel sidelined now. While lightweights such as A.K. Moorthy made it to the Union Ministry on behalf of the PMK, Mr. Ilangovan was left out in the cold.

Mr. Ilangovan, as a form of protest, is keeping away from party meetings. Various options are being considered, as at least two members are necessary to split the five-member PMK in the Lok Sabha without attracting disqualification under the Anti-Defection Act.

Apparently, Mr. Ilangovan confronted the party founder, S. Ramadoss, over his non-inclusion in the ministry only to be told of ``other compulsions'' in the choice of Mr. Moorthy.

The first time the PMK got a berth in the ministry, Dr. Ramadoss nominated a Dalit, Dalith Ezhilmalai. At that point, the decision was seen as part of the PMK's efforts to woo the Dalits and erase its vanniar casteist image.

Later, in 1999, when the PMK was offered two berths, Dr. Ramadoss nominated N.T. Shanmugham, a vanniar, and E. Ponnusamy, a Dalit. While Mr. Ilangovan considered himself as senior to Mr. Shanmugham, he did not grudge the latter's elevation.

Now, however, with Dr. Ramadoss nominating Mr. Moorthy, who does not have anything but his loyalty to the Ramadoss family to recommend his case, Mr. Ilangovan is fuming. Clearly, Mr. Ilangovan feels slighted by the party leadership.

One of his supporters was suspended by the leadership after publicity material appeared thanking the Shankaracharya for nominating Mr. Moorthy to the ministry. The sarcasm was not lost on the PMK leadership.

However, neither the leadership nor Mr. Ilangovan appears ready to precipitate a crisis. A `wait-and-watch' policy seems to be the preferred approach of both sides. But the divide in the party is beginning to show.

Earlier efforts at splitting the PMK have failed as Dr. Ramadoss was accepted as the unquestioned leader by the cadre. Over the years, Dr. Ramadoss has cultivated the image of a leader who was not interested in running for public office. He has deliberately kept away from contesting any election. Indeed, he gave up the party presidentship too to a loyalist and looked content with the title of `PMK founder.'

But, the quick rise of his son, R. Anbumani, in the party hierarchy is beginning to tell on the image of Dr. Ramadoss. Indeed, Dr. Ramadoss primarily broke away from the AIADMK alliance following the AIADMK's refusal to back Mr. Anbumani for a Rajya Sabha seat.

For youngsters like Mr. Ilangovan, Dr. Ramadoss was some sort of a `father figure'. But some of his shine has been lost due to the manner in which he prepared the ground for the dynastic succession of Mr. Anbumani.

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