Stalin woos PMK by issuing order for Vanniyars quota

Chennai, July 27 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is apparently trying to woo the AIADMK alliance partner, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) by issuing a government order of 10.5 per cent reservation for the Vanniyar community. The PMK is the political arm of the Vanniyar community.

The DMK government had on Monday issued the Order regarding the 10.5 per cent reservation for the Vanniyar community within the Most Backward Castes (MBC) with retrospective effect as on February 26.

The previous AIADMK government had passed the Act in February 2021 and the Government order also stated that the special reservation within the MBC quota would be applicable to all educational programmes including professional courses from this academic year.

PMK leader Dr S. Ramadoss thanked the chief minister profusely after the order was issued with retrospective effect.

There were several issues within the AIADMK over the political alliance with the PMK and the Act regarding the 10.5 per cent reservation for Vanniyar community. Several AIADMK leaders including O. Panneerselvam had come out against the reservation for Vanniyars within the MBC quota and had stated that this was the one reason which led to other communities moving away from the AIADMK in the 2021 elections.

"Stalin, being a shrewd politician knows that the PMK with which the DMK had an alliance earlier, will help the party get a large number of votes in northern Tamil Nadu including Arkonam area which is the stronghold of the PMK", says an observer.

While these are early days to predict a possible coming together, political observers are of the view that in the long run, PMK may not shy away from such an alliance. The PMK is also not happy over the BJP central leadership not considering party youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss for the post of Union minister in the recent cabinet reshuffle of the Modi government.

This coupled with the internal bickering within the AIADMK with O. Panneerselvam and Edappadi K. Palaniswami not in good terms with each other may prompt the PMK search greener pastures and Stalin knows that there is a possibility of the Vanniyar switching stands, say political observers.

C. Rajeev, Director of Centre For Policy and Development Studies, a think tank based out of Chennai told , "The DMK government issuing a G.O. with retrospective effect regarding the 10.5 per cent reservation for Vanniyar community is not an immediate trigger for PMK switching over to the DMK fold, but it is indeed a possibility in future. Stalin knows clearly that there are issues in the AIADMK front ever since the party and the front lost power."

He adds, "Anbumani Ramadoss not being given a berth in the Narendra Modi government has not been taken well by the party and coupled with the bickerings in the AIADMK and the DMK extending the olive branch over passing the G.O. on Vanniyar reservation, may give the PMK the necessary ammunition to leave the AIADMK front."

Sources in the party however told that there will be no immediate development, but there could be possibilities of alliance partners switching sides in the future.