DMK-Congress split is advantage AIADMK

Chennai: The opposition camp in Tamil Nadu is happy with the dramatic decision by the ruling DMK to exit the UPA government and also announcing the break up with the Congress party in the April 13 assembly elections.

"The AIADMK-led alliance will win the elections hands down now," DMDK presidium chairman Panruti S Ramachandran told IANS.

The party, led by actor turned politician Vijayakant, had struck a seat-sharing deal with the AIADMK on Friday night.

According to Ramachandran, DMK leader and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi must have taken the decision mainly to protect his family members involved in the 2G Spectrum scam.

"My surmise is that Karunanidhi would have asked the Congress party to scuttle the investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the 2G spectrum scam. Its trail has led to Kalaignar TV, where his family members have majority stake. Congress would have expressed its helplessness as the case is monitored by the Supreme Court," Ramachandran said.

Even DMK's recent ally PMK may not be sympathetic if Karunanidhi's family members were found connected to the 2G Spectrum scam, he said.

"For the Congress it is a damage control measure. Earlier it lost the government due to the Bofors gun scam and it does not want a repeat due to the 2G Spectrum scam," Ramachandran added.

According to him, Congress is like an orphan now in Tamil Nadu with no other major political party to align with.

A leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) earlier said: "They have lost the battle even before it began."

Political commentator Cho Ramaswamy told IANS: "Now Karunanidhi may have a talking point. He can say that the central government is investigating against his family as he withdrew from the alliance."

According to him, the Congress seems to be in favour of severing its ties with the DMK in Tamil Nadu to protect its larger interest of ruling at the Centre so that Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary and party leader Sonia Gandhi's son, gets an easy access to the prime minister post during the next Lok Sabha poll.

Ramaswamy said one has to watch if Congress would move towards AIADMK fold.

According to a leader of the PMK, a DMK ally, the absence of the Congress from the alliance would not be a major handicap.

"The DMK-PMK-VCK combine is a strong force and can win the elections," he said.