Anna DMK has always been Delhi regent

NEW DELHI: History shows that AIADMK has remained a ‘political regent’ of Dilli durbar since its birth in 1972, with Jayalaithaa’s toppling of the second Vajpayee regime the only aberration to this political code and instinct.

After Sasikala’s conviction, ADMK MLAs are left to choose between CM Panneerselvam — Delhi’s preferred ‘token’ — and ‘exiled’ Sasikala’s ‘wannabee Bharat’, E Palaniswami — who could prove for the Centre a titular head more docile than what Panneerselvam was to Jaya, or a dark horse. Palaniswami, though, may be handicapped, vis-à-vis Amma’s ‘enduring vassal’ Panneerselvam, as he is perceived as the proxy of an inarguably unpopular Sasikala.

Political prudence also warrants focus on DMK’s de facto leader MK Stalin, who while displaying put-on patience, lurks to tap divisions in AIADMK to avenge MGR’s splitting of the DMK. A floor-test could see DMK, just20shorttoreachthehalf-waymark with Congress, backing one faction and hastening the AIADMK split, only to begin games of its own, which may include realignment with the Centre.

As far as the national parties are concerned, the BJP, seen as a ‘north Indian party’, has no MLAs or a presentable base in TN. However, central power gives it the chance to fish in TN’s troubled waters as ensuring majority in the Rajya Sabha and presidential polls are its priorities. Having a regime that would cower at the mere mention of central rule, hence, suits the party which is also ambitious of expanding its base in Dravidian land.

The backseat driver of yore, the Congress, meanwhile, is just a fringe player with eight MLAs and no central power. The importance of power at the Centre is best illustrated by two incidents during two different regimes of the past: The Karunanidhi-led DMK once helped Indira Gandhi muster LS numbers after the Congress split of 1969.

Yet she propped up MGR to split DMK soon after Karunanidhi resisted her party’s TN ambitions. Similarly, MGR, a life-long ally of Indira, offered her the Thanjavur LS seat for a bypoll, after her 1977 Raebareli defeat, only to meekly backtrack when PM Morarji Desai made a warning phone call. To many, this Delhi-Chennai equation still holds good.