The Hindu : Bid to oust DMK-led allies?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 31, 2003

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Bid to oust DMK-led allies?

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI MARCH 30. The Centre's affidavit filed before the Supreme Court in the MDMK leader, Vaiko's case, is being seen in political circles here as one more effort by the BJP to virtually push the DMK-led alliance, of which the MDMK is a part, out of the ruling NDA..

Significantly, the MDMK was not invited to today's "select" meeting of top NDA leaders. However, the official word was that some of the smaller parties would be invited later for an interaction with the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Although, informally, some BJP leaders hinted that the affidavit would be "corrected" tomorrow, legal circles see difficulties in this as the Government would then be forced to contradict its earlier affidavit and could attract unflattering remarks from the court.

Politically, it has become increasingly clear — particularly since the DMK bit the dust at the hustings in Tamil Nadu — that the BJP was inching closer to its former ally, the AIADMK, and would like to rid itself of DMK-led allies before the next general elections. On her part, the AIADMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, has demonstrated that she was willing to meet the BJP more than half way.

The BJP leadership has shied away from criticising the AIADMK. While the party welcomed the passage of the Bill on religious conversions, the AIADMK refrained from asking for the resignation of the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi. More recently, in the Assembly by-election to Sattankulam, the DMK-BJP alliance virtually fell apart with both parties leaving the seat uncontested. At the State level, the BJP leaders have been as generous in their denunciation of the DMK as they have been open in their praise for Ms. Jayalalithaa. Ideally, the BJP would like the DMK and its allies to walk out of the NDA, leaving the field clear for the party to formally announce its alliance with the AIADMK. It does not want to be seen pushing the DMK out — for fear of being seen as opportunistic — although it has been deliberately provoking the DMK (and now the MDMK) hoping they will walk out.

The "affidavit'' episode has placed the MDMK in an awkward situation and it will not come as a surprise to anyone if it decides to walk out of the NDA sooner rather than later. However, the fact that Mr. Vaiko has completely burnt his bridges with the AIADMK may be the only inhibiting factor. He may be forced to wait till the big brother — the DMK — decides enough is enough.

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