Vaiko allays fears about alliance with DMK, keeps mum on Lok Sabha pact

On Wednesday evening, Vaiko emulated his ally Thirumavalavan of VCK and met Stalin at the DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam and blamed the media for trying to create confusion in the alliance.

“I wrote to my beloved brother and Leader of Opposition Stalin seeking support for the December 3 agitation against Raj Bhavan jointly organized by MDMK and Dravidar Kazhagam. Meanwhile, my friend Duraimurugan said the MDMK was not in alliance. Media persons sought my reaction to his statement. I said the DMK president will clarify. Immediately, Stalin wrote back to me extending support to the agitation. The reply letter is the clarification,” Vaiko said, refusing to categorically state if his party was in the DMK fold.

An equally evasive Stalin also refused to commit on the issue and sarcastically thanked media for showing extraordinary interest in his party’s alliance. Stalin was asked if MDMK was a constituent of DMK alliance.

Vaiko visited Anna Arivalayam a day after his ‘ally’ Thol Thirumavalavan of VCK met Stalin to bury the hatchet. Unrest got the better of the two leaders after Duraimurugan declared a few days ago that MDMK and VCK were not in their alliance and they were just friends.

The rendezvous and clarification statements of the three leaders have sufficiently revealed the unwillingness of the parties to leave alliance issues to chance. While the DMK has shared its disaffection with MDMK for appreciating the AIADMK minister’s involvement in cyclone relief works and aspiring for more (seats) in the ensuing Lok Sabha election, the two smaller parties have realised that not all in Arivalayam were favourably disposed to forging alliance with them and DMK could snap ties if it attempted to drive too hard bargain in the seat sharing talks.

Ironically, the bittersweet relationship between DMK and the two regional allies has not discouraged the Left parties from making similar complacent remarks in private.

CPIM state leaders were learnt to have made questionable statements about them being in DMK led alliance, and that too after their national general secretary Sitaram Yechury had declared that they would work with DMK in whatever front it is a part of in the ensuing election.