PMK breaks alliance with UPA, joins AIADMK

In another jolt to the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in the changing political dynamics, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) party today (March 26) decided to ally with AIADMK-led front in Tamil Nadu ahead of the general elections.

Ending days long uncertainty and discussion over the seat sharing arrangements between PMK and Congress in Tamil Nadu, PMK members voted largely in favour of an alliance with AIADMK at its General Council meeting in Chennai.

PMK leader and central Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said to press that a total of 2,453 members voted to go with the AIADMK while only 117 wanted to remain with the existing DMK-led grouping in Tamil Nadu. He also said that he would resign from the government soon after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh within a couple of days.

Thursday’s move is the latest blow for Congress after losing out a possible alliance with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar, and refuting Samajwadi Party’s offer of under 20 seats in the most populous state Uttar Pradesh.

The General Council meeting of the party, which has six seats in the Lok Sabha, was attended by all its senior leaders, including PMK founder S. Ramadoss and his son Anbumani, the central health minister.

In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the DMK-led DPA front which included the Congress, PMK, MDMK, CPI and CPI (M) swept all the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu defeating the AIADMK-BJP combine. However at present, CPI, CPI (M) and MDMK are now rooting for Jayalalitha-led AIADMK.

PMK was earlier in the AIADMK front in the 2001 assembly poll, which went in favour of Jayalalitha, while in the 1998 Lok Sabha polls both the parties were in the BJP-led front.

AIADMK leader and former chief minister J. Jayalalitha is hosting a tea party Thursday evening where she has invited MDMK leader Vaiko and leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Communist Party of India, party sources said.