‘Political marriage’ between Left-Jaya?

The CPI followed up this discussion when its state secretary D Pandian met Jayalalithaa.

Bardhan gave enough indications of an electoral alliance with the principal opposition party in Tamil Nadu, but stopped short of declaring it.

After the meeting, he had told reporters waiting outside Jayalalithaa’s residence “to draw your own conclusion.”

The CPI-M is also likely to go with AIADMK as the Left parties had already decided to put up a united fight in the Lok Sabha polls.

Though some CPI-M leaders in the state are not keen on an alliance with the AIADMK, its politburo has reportedly favoured a tie-up with the party. Local leaders are apprehensive that Jayalalithaa might go with the BJP in the post-poll scenario.

However, with Jayalalithaa saying she was “not averse” to a poll arrangement with the Left parties, the chances of a “political marriage” between them look brighter. CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat will be visiting Chennai for a meeting on December 4 or 5 to decide on the alliance.

Of late, former allies AIADMK and CPI(M), who were together for a brief period in 2001, have shared similar views on the controversial Indo-US nuclear deal and opposed it.

The CPI had forged an electoral alliance with Jayalalithaa in 1996 and 2001.

Both the Left parties parted ways with AIADMK after Jayalalithaa took several steps, including withdrawal of some benefits to government employees, in a bid to improve the state’s economy which was in a bad shape then.

The last straw in the relationship was the dismissal of over 1.6 lakh government employees for their participation in a strike, demanding revival of concessions like ex-gratia for Pongal festival.