TN: Post-election coalition rekindles moment over seven decades ago

CHENNAI: The decision of the Indian National Congress (INC) to extend support to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in the post-poll scenario has revived memories of a similar political development that took place more than seven decades ago in Tamil Nadu.

After Independence, the then Madras State faced its first Assembly election in 1951-52. In that election, the Congress party failed to secure a clear majority on its own. It later formed the government with the support of the Commonweal Party led by Vanniyar leader MA Manickavelu.

Interestingly, the Congress Party had contested the election as an ally of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which was then a newly emerging political force and had not yet contested under its own symbol.

After the election, however, the Commonweal Party broke away from the DMK alliance and extended support to the Congress government led by C Rajagopalachari (Rajaji), enabling him to become the Chief Minister of Madras State.

The Commonweal Party had won six seats in that election.

Since then, Tamil Nadu politics largely witnessed stable majority governments led by the DMK or the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). However, coalition-era equations resurfaced in 2006, when the DMK, under M. Karunanidhi, formed the government with 96 seats through outside support from the Congress and PMK.

The current political scenario has once again drawn attention because the Congress party, founded over a century ago, has now extended support to the two-year-old TVK led by actor-turned-politician Vijay for government formation.

Political observers say the development resembles the 1951-52 political situation, when an ally associated with the DMK eventually helped the Congress capture power.