DMDK chief Vijayakanth said, "We were with Jayalalithaa first. But I got angry with her for hiking milk prices and bus fares."
Highlights
- Captain Vijayakanth's DMDK has joined the People's Welfare Alliance
- PMK led by Anbumani Ramadoss is contesting all 234 seats
- The index of opposition unity has dropped from 84 in 2011 to 65 in 2016
Captain Vijayakanth explains why he spurned the advances of the two Tamil Nadu giants, AIADMK and DMK, and chose to lead a third front in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections now, a week away.
"If politics was a film, I would be the hero, Karunanidhi would be the villain and Jayalalithaa would be the 'villy'," said the charismatic actor-turned- politician and also, "We were with Jayalalithaa first. But I got angry with her for hiking milk prices and bus fares... Karunanidhi turns everything to his advantage."
This is the first time that there will be a significant third front in Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Captain Vijayakanth's DMDK has joined the People's Welfare Alliance - a front of four parties that includes the CPI(M), the CPI, Vaiko's MDMK and Thol Thirumavalavan's Dalit party VCK.
"We will be kings, not kingmakers... will not go to ally with any one in case of hung Assembly. We will face the next election. We will not support the AIADMK or DMK at any cost," said Mr Thirumavalavan.
PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss says he is fighting to eradicate freebie culture and get people to vote for schemes and not symbols.
Then there is the PMK led by Anbumani Ramadoss, which is contesting all 234 seats for the first time.
The 47-year-old Dr Ramadoss scoffs at the Third Front's aspirations. "The Third front is an alliance based on no common policies, only convenience. They will get less than 10 seats," he said to NDTV.
Dr Ramadoss says he is fighting to eradicate freebie culture and get people to vote for schemes and not symbols, and believes he can change the trend of the DMK and AIADMK alternating in winning power in Tamil Nadu since 1984.
With the smaller parties flexing muscle, the index of opposition unity has dropped from 84 in 2011 to 65 in 2016, which basically makes it possible for a party win majority at 118 seats with even a 36.5 per cent voteshare.
In 2011, the DMDK had emerged as the second largest party - winning 29 seats and aligning with J Jayalalithaa's AIADMK, which was in the opposition before the election.
In that election, the DMK had tied up with the Congress, the PMK and VCK and KMNK, winning only 31 seats. The AIADMK had allied with DMDK, CPM, CPI, AIFB and smaller parties PT and MNMK, winning 203 seats.