PMK names Anbumani as CM candidate, exposes rift with NDA

All is not well within the NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), an ally of the BJP in the state on Sunday declared that it will field its leader, former Union minister Anbumani Ramadoss, as the chief ministerial candidate for the 2016 assembly elections.

All is not well within the NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), an ally of the BJP in the state on Sunday declared that it will field its leader, former Union minister Anbumani Ramadoss, as the chief ministerial candidate for the 2016 assembly elections.

The PMK general body meeting held in Salem on Sunday passed a resolution to name Ramadoss as its CM candidate for the assembly elections.

Party president GK Mani made the announcement at a public meeting late Sunday evening.

Later, senior leader and founder of PMK, S Ramadoss said any other party wanting to work with it was welcome.

This announcement has allegedly created a rift between the PMK and the BJP which was planning to strengthen its alliance and pitch itself as an alternative to the two Dravidian parties in state politics.

In a sharp reaction to the unilateral decision of the PMK, senior party leader H Raja said in any alliance, a decision on leadership or the chief ministerial candidate should be taken only after consultations with other alliance partners. “The PMK has gone ahead and made a unilateral announcement of its leader Anbumani Ramadoss as its CM candidate. The BJP has noted this development and the national-level leadership will take an appropriate decision in this regard,” he said.

The BJP-led NDA alliance is facing pressure from another alliance partner, Captain Vijayakanth of the DMDK, as he also wants to be the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance.

The PMK won one of the two seats NDA won from Tamil Nadu in the Lok Sabha elections.