Bengaluru: A few minutes after a special CBI court acquitted all accused in the 2G ‘scam’, the polling agents of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) at RK Nagar by-poll started celebrating. One of them even declared that the DMK has already won RK Nagar by-poll. Thursday morning, the 2G verdict was playing out more on the minds of the party leadership, than the by-poll for one seat in Tamil Nadu Assembly.
An impressive performance by the Congress in the recently concluded Gujarat Assembly polls, acquittal in the 2G ‘scam’ and the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in shambles have boosted the morale of the DMK. But acquittal in 2G case is icing on the cake for the grand old Dravidian party which is now led by M K Stalin.
According to DMK leaders, the 2G case was like a ‘nuclear bomb’ for the party which had devastating effect on the party fortunes in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The cadre was demoralised and the party was being treated like a pariah in New Delhi. The huge legal and moral victory will change all that they say.
Reacting to the verdict, M K Stalin said, “There was no scam at all. Our stand has been vindicated”. His half-sister and DMK MP M Kanimozhi who had spent months at Tihar jail in Delhi was jubilant. She said “justice has prevailed”.
The political analysts in Chennai feel that DMK can bounce back once again. The DMK can now go for a hard bargain with other parties, including the Congress. The recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ailing DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi’s house had led to political speculations over the possibility of a re-alliance with the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Rumour mills are already abuzz with all kinds of theories. Many argue that the visit broke the ice and the DMK is not averse to go with the BJP if it suits the larger scheme of things. The DMK feels that the Congress did not come to its rescue in 2010 and 2011 after the alleged scam shook the nation. It has openly expressed displeasure over the manner in which the UPA government backed by them sent A Raja and Kanomozhi to jail.
After the acquittal, the DMK is not under any obligation to go with the Congress as it has a wide choices open before it. And a personal score to settle.
But the big question is, how will the BJP handle it? The 2G ‘scam’ had majorly contributed to the decimation of the Congress and the spectacular win of Modi in 2014. Modi himself made it a big poll issue and constantly took jibes at the DMK in his election rallies. The entire BJP was after the DMK and Congress. Joining hands with the DMK once again for political gains in Tamil Nadu might have a ramifications in rest of India.
On the other hand, joining hands with the BJP actually helps the DMK. It can tell the world that even the accuser had to eat his words. MK Stalin and Co. have nothing to lose. Only the BJP has to find a way out.
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