DMDK lashes out at AIADMK over reservation to Vanniyars

Desiya Murpoku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) leader and party deputy general secretary LG Sudhish lashed out at the AIADMK for providing 10.5% internal reservation under the Most Backward Communities(MBC) categories to the Vanniyars and said that this would lead to other castes coming out against that party. He was addressing party workers at Tiruvanamalai on Thursday.

He said that both the DMK and the AIADMK are parties with equal strength and added that the DMDK will be the decisive factor in the elections. The AIADMK, DMDK seat sharing talks had failed with the latter demanding seats at par with the PMK while the AIADMK was not willing to give more than 15 seats.

Sudhish while speaking to IANS over telephone said," DMDK will decide on whether we want to have an alliance with AIADMK or not. Our leader Captain Vijayakanth will decide on that. We have to get  a minimum of 8 seats in this assembly elections to be recognized as a state party and to retain our election symbol, Marasu (Drum)".

The DMDK leadership however has not decided to break away from the alliance talks with the AIADMK and Sudhish said that party leader Captain Vijayakanth will take a call on the alliance  within a couple of days.

The DMDK had an alliance with the AIADMK in 2011 and the alliance turned deadly for the DMK with the AIADMK winning by a huge margin. Later DMDK became the opposition in the state assembly with 29 seats.

Sudhish added, "If not for the DMDK ,the AIADMK would have vanished from the political firmament of Tamil Nadu and the alliance helped AIADMK get back into the reckoning in state politics. As I said earlier, the difference between the AIADMK and DMK is not much in Tamil Nadu politics and we can make a major difference in the end result."

Sources in the BJP said that the party wants the DMDK to be with the AIADMK led alliance of which the BJP and the PMK are als a part. The saffron party is trying to convince the AIADMK leadership to forge an alliance with the DMDK to retain power in the state. The national leadership of the BJP is in touch with Captain Vijayakanth for a smooth alliance with the AIADMK.