The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which on Monday launched the distribution of application forms to Lok Sabha ticket aspirants, is facing the dilemma of how to accommodate the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in an electoral front that may take shape in the coming weeks.
Even though certain sections of the party favour an electoral tie-up with the BJP, some other sections are still opposed to any such arrangement. This aversion is not just due to the fear of likely loss of votes of religious minorities, but also due to other reasons. Some leaders are apprehensive about the greater pressure the party is likely to encounter in apportioning seats in western districts, a traditional stronghold of the AIADMK, to the BJP and any other possible ally, such as the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).
There is one more factor: T.T.V. Dhinakaran, the rebel leader and founder of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK). In the event of the ruling party joining hands with the BJP, there is talk of Mr. Dhinakaran focussing his campaign in constituencies that may be allotted to the latter. In such an event, members of the AIADMK may rally behind the rebel leader.