DMK vows support to “secular progressive alliance” in Telangana polls
An official announcement issued by the DMK high command early Tuesday morning instructed the party workers in Telangana to work for the victory of the candidates contesting on behalf of the Secular Progressive Alliance.
Representative image.
CHENNAI: The ruling DMK on Tuesday announced its support to the candidates of the Congress party in the November 30 Assembly polls to be held in Telangana.
An official announcement issued by the DMK high command early Tuesday morning instructed the party workers in Telangana to work for the victory of the candidates contesting on behalf of the Secular Progressive Alliance.
More than the party’s support to the Congress, it was the DMK’s choice of language that raised eyebrows in the political circles. For the first time since the inception of INDIA (named later) bloc in June last, the DMK has avoided or chose to use the term Secular Progressive Alliance instead of the INDIA bloc in an official communique.
Though it might be argued that the Congress and other constituents of the INDIA bloc have not cobbled up an alliance in Telangana or the other four states, Anna Arivalayam’s choice of language has demonstrated visible friction in the Opposition called Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance.
The decision of the Dravidian major, the third largest party in the Lok Sabha, to back the Congress in Telangana and put out different descriptions of the same alliance in two different statements issued for one purpose was also indicative of the party’s dilemma in dealing with warring allies. The Left parties went alone in Telangana after attempts to work together with the grand old Congress there failed miserably.
Other INDIA bloc leaders like Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh and even JD (U)s Nitish Kunar have openly expressed their disaffection at the Congress notwithstanding, in fact, it’s been the first time Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin, who consciously uses SPA only within Tamilnadu, has hinted at or conceded a lack of cohesion in the INDIA bloc.
Probably wary of the impact the leadership’s choice of lingo would have on the alliance, the official handle of the DMK on micro blogging site ‘X’ put out an English translation of the announcement, described the alliance as INDIA instead of SPA.
“All wings and cadres of the DMK party in Telangana State should strive for the victory of the Congress party's candidates on behalf of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. For the upcoming 2023 Telangana State Legislative Assembly Election, which will be held on November 30, all DMK wings and cadres in Telangana are asked to form an election working committee and work hard with the Congress party to ensure a large margin of victory for the I.N.D.I.A. bloc candidates,” the message read.
