Tamil Nadu’s election fever is rising, and at its epicenter stands PMK patriarch S. Ramdoss, squeezed between alliance suitors. DMK’s mounting offensive to enlist PMK has sparked intense speculation, exposing fault lines within the Vanniyar-centric party.
The backdrop is familiar: PMK’s vote bank is gold dust in a multi-cornered fight. DMK, riding high on governance dividends, covets PMK’s 18-20 assembly segments to steamroll rivals. Overtures include 20-25 seats and key portfolios like Highways and Animal Husbandry.
Ramdoss, 84 and semi-retired, still calls shots. His quandary stems from clashing visions—DMK’s Dravidian inclusivity versus PMK’s assertive caste politics. Internal surveys warn that spurning DMK could slash PMK’s tally below 10 seats.
DMK’s playbook is textbook: top leaders visiting Tholudur, welfare sops flagged for Vanniyars, and media leaks hyping ‘imminent breakthrough.’ Countering this, BJP emissaries pitch a national alternative, invoking shared Hindutva undertones.
PMK’s 2021 solo gamble flopped spectacularly, retaining only its Tirukkoyilur bastion. This haunts decision-makers, amplifying DMK’s leverage. Anbumani Ramdoss, eyeing a comeback, urges data-driven choices over sentiment.
Broader implications loom large. A DMK-PMK pact would alarm AIADMK-BJP duo, forcing seat adjustments elsewhere. It could also revive Vanniyar reservation stirs if promises falter post-polls.
Ramdoss’s next moves will define legacies. Will he embrace realpolitik or cling to independence? As negotiations heat up, Tamil Nadu voters await the alliance puzzle’s final piece, promising a fiercely contested poll season.