DMK President Stalin looks beyond INDIA bloc, to consult MPs on October 17

CHENNAI: The DMK is weighing a national-level third front as it grapples with an alliance dilemma, exploring alternatives beyond the INDIA bloc while seeking a viable political partner to anchor its national strategy.

Party president MK Stalin is set to consult the party’s Members of Parliament on Saturday, amid uncertainty over its national-level political alignments.

On Friday, Kanimozhi backed the young protesters and said Stalin had opposed the revision exercise even before the Assembly elections.

“Ministers are criticising the DMK over the SIR issue because they do not have the courage to oppose the BJP, which is responsible for the SIR exercise,” she said.

The DMK will convene a consultative meeting of its MPs, including Rajya Sabha members, at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai. In a statement, party general secretary Duraimurugan asked all MPs to attend without fail.

Though the statement did not specify the agenda, party sources said Stalin was likely to discuss the prospects of forming an alternative political front. DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi has already held talks with parties outside the INDIA bloc as part of the exploratory exercise.

The deliberations matter as the DMK weighs its options amid the challenge of sustaining its existing national-level partnerships while exploring alternatives. The party has also stepped up its criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, even though it avoided sharing the stage with Congress, which deserted its alliance in the State, extending support to youth groups protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the poll panel.

Saturday’s meeting is expected to provide Stalin an opportunity to assess the party’s national-level political strategy, including the prospects of a broader alternative alliance and the next steps in its discussions with other parties.