PMK threat to exit AIADMK front led to last-minute quota, seat-sharing deal

The threat of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) to walk out of the AIADMK-led front if its deadline for a Vanniyar sub-quota in educational institutions and jobs in Tamil Nadu was not met forced the ruling AIADMK to announce  a 10.5 per cent sub quota for Vanniyars just before the Election Code came into force on February 26 evening.

As predicted by TheFederal.com in the last few weeks, the PMK had demanded the sub-quota as a pre-condition for poll talks for an alliance in the Assembly polls. The AIADMK, in a knee-jerk reaction, buckled to the PMK pressure and yielded to the demand for the sub quota, and hurriedly concluded a seat arrangement with the PMK on Saturday (February 27) evening. The PMK will contest 23 seats in the 234-member Assembly.

Also read: Rude shock for AIADMK as PMK acts tough on alliance for 2021 polls

Releasing details of the seat adjustment with the AIADMK shortly after meeting Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam (AIADMK co-ordinator) in Chennai on Saturday, PMK youth wing president and former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said the PMK had agreed to accept a lower number of seats (23) as its primary concern was securing a sub-quota for Vanniyars. He said it was a 40-year-old demand of PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss to get a separate quota for Vanniyars, and this had been realised on Friday when the AIADMK government announced the sub-quota of 10.5 per cent for the community.

Anbumani Ramadoss said the alliance was poised for a huge victory in the Assembly elections. Details of the constituencies to be contested by the PMK would be announced later.

As pointed out by TheFederal.com, the PMK had threatened to launch its own front if the Vanniyar quota was not announced by New Year day (January1), It later extended the deadline to Pongal (January 14). A group of ministers who held at least three rounds of meetings with Dr Ramadoss were told that there was no question of alliance talks if the quota was not announced. The PMK founder agreed to extend the deadline by a few days since the Assembly had been summoned. Time was running out for the two parties.

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On Friday, the Election Commission had announced that the election dates would be released at 4.30 pm. The Tamil Nadu Assembly session had to be curtailed that day itself. There was a window of only a few hours left for the state government to announce the quota to pacify the PMK and save the alliance.

AIADMK co-ordinator O Panneerselvam was said to have worked out a government order announcing the sub-quota of 10.5 per cent for Vanniyars, and tweaking the quota for other castes in the MBC category. The AIADMK government, bowing to the PMK pressure, made the announcement just hours before the winding up of the Assembly session.

The AIADMK leaders are said to have assured the PMK that the bulk of its seats would be in the Vanniyar heartland of northern Tamil Nadu but it would have to accept a few seats in other parts of the state where it is weak.

The AIADMK showed desperation in keeping the allies of the 2019 elections on board which was exploited by the PMK to the hilt, as has been pointed out by TheFederal.com.  The PMK has used the Vanniyar sub-quota as a trade-off for a political deal on an alliance for the April 6 elections in Tamil Nadu.

The opposition parties harp on the confusion caused by the hasty arrangement of a Vanniyar sub-quota within the MBC limit, that it is a temporary measure even as per the announcement of the chief minister in the TN Assembly, since the government had appointed a commission to go into caste-wise census in the state and then finalise the quotas for various castes.

Also read: AIADMK enters vitriolic phase of polls, faces internal and external rebellion

This temporary arrangement had also attracted flak from other Vanniyar-based parties like Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Sangam, which said the PMK had reduced the quota for Vanniyars from 20 per cent to 10.5 per cent. Leaders of other castes had criticised the sub quota for Vanniyars alone, reducing the quota for other castes in the MBC list.

The caste wars will continue in the run-up to the Assembly elections as the AIADMK has opened the Pandora’s Box, and can do little to douse the damage caused by inflammation of a casteist propaganda.