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N Sathiya Moorthy in Madras
Dissident Tamil Maanila Congress politician and former Union finance minister P Chidambaram returned to Madras on Tuesday amidst much jostling and slogan-shouting by supporters who wanted him to make a decisive move in his opposition to the party's electoral alliance with the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
"The party leadership should review its decision in this regard," Chidambaram reiterated while speaking to reporters later at his Wallace Garden residence. "The alliance is against the basic tenets of the TMC, and I have been repeatedly making this point."
Earlier, hundreds of men gathered at Madras airport when Chidambaram arrived from Bangalore. Among them were TMC legislators V Ranganathan, representing Purasawalkam constituency in Madras, Chinnayya of Thirumayam, and N Sundaram of Karaikudi.
Estranged TMC legislator K Chokkar of Sivakasi, who had parted company with the leadership following its support to the AIADMK in the assembly by-elections in February last year, was there. So was Dr S Vallalperumaan, convener of the scheduled castes and tribes cell of the party, who had crossed over from the Congress on the eve of the 1999 general election.
Yet another TMC legislator, J M Haroon, crossed over to the ruling DMK-led National Democratic Alliance at the head of the Tamil Nadu United Jamaat Organisation hours after TMC president G K Moopanar announced the alliance with the AIADMK on Saturday.
Chidambaram later went into a huddle with his supporters to chalk out his strategy. Personally, he is said to be keen not to walk out on Moopanar, but with others in the party looking to him for guidance, suggestions were being made for him to float a new outfit that would work in tandem with the NDA.
Indications are that the BJP is not keen on having Chidambaram in the party, though it has no objection to his joining the NDA or supporting the alliance from outside.
A BJP source said, "It is for Mr Chidambaram and his supporters to decide their next course of action. And it is for the DMK, as leader of the NDA in the state and the main NDA player in the electoral drama, to take a decision."
Earlier in the day, there was much jostling and slogan-shouting when Chidambaram arrived in Madras. Supporters of Ranganathan and Haroon thronged the place as did members of the Makkal Thamizh Desam, now a partner in the NDA. With the crowds becoming restive, and slogans being shouted against some TMC leaders seen as pro-AIADMK, the police had a tough time guiding Chidambaram to his vehicle, and later to his home.
Meanwhile, reports from some parts of the state, including Madurai, spoke of TMC cadres burning effigies and photographs of Chidambaram for opposing the alliance with the AIADMK.
In a belated reaction, the TMC leadership issued a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, condemning the incidents and urging its cadres not to resort to such methods.
Sources close to Chidambaram refuted the claims of the party leadership that some members of the TMC election committee had met him at his home to discuss the alliance. According to them, most of the members had, in fact, urged Chidambaram to try and persuade Moopanar not to strike a deal with the AIADMK. "This is what Mr Chidambaram meant when he politely denied that the poll panel members did not discuss the alliance with him," they said.
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