It's DMK versus Chidambaram now

It's war in Madras -- and the principal combatants are the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam versus Union Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram.

Making no secret of his displeasure, Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi boycotted an official function attended by Chidambaram last week. Party sources indicate this was merely a beginning, and that worse is in store if the minister did not 'mend his ways'.

Officially, word is that Karunanidhi was busy with arrangements for his daughter Kanimozhi's wedding. However, that is proving a bit hard to swallow, given that even the local DMK MLA was missing from the function organised by the joint sector Madras Fertiliser Limited. And sources indicate that party cadres, gathered in the Manali suburb of Madras which houses MFL, were asked by their leaders to disperse before Chidambaram arrived at the venue.

The reason for the pique apparently is the DMK perception that Chidambaram has been "consistently and deliberately criticising the state government for the sake of criticism, and for playing the Opposition role to the hilt."

"The Tamil Maanila Congress, of which Chidambaram is a prominent leader, remains our ally in the state. And allies do not wash each other's dirty linen, if any, in public," said a senior DMK leader. "TMC chief G K Moopanar is in constant touch with the chief minister, so grouses if any can be cleared through the proper channel, instead of a responsible Union minister taking to the public platform to air his views."

Chidambaram has of late been teeing off on the DMK government regarding such issues as devolution of power to local bodies -- which, according to the state government, are relatively less important. "I can understand if he comes out with corruption charges against our ministers, or even comes down on the state government on the law and order question. Instead, he has chose dilatory tactics, where the intention is to hit us without hurting the alliance greatly," the leader argued.

DMK leaders believe that of late, Chidambaram appears to have a political agenda of his own, and distinctly different from that of the TMC. The party has made no bones about its goal of going it alone, and trying to capture power in the state on its own steam. However, the leadership is also aware that going up against the Dravida parties is no picnic in the southern state -- a realisation that has made the TMC hierarchy, with the exception of Chidambaram, very pragmatic and cautious.

Opinion within the TMC is divided on Chidambaram's outbursts. The section that supports the minister says the TMC cannot afford to soft pedal if it wishes to establish its own political identity and make a solo bid for power in the state. "We cannot play second fiddle to the DMK all the time, as the AIADMK-led combine will then try fill the vacuum in the Opposition. We would then have lost out for all time, as this is the only opportunity in the last three decades for the non-Dravidian parties to sideline the AIADMK, and take on the DMK. We cannot lose sight of the situation," a TMC leader who ranks among Chidambaram's supporters said.

The leader also points out that Chidambaram has been very gentle in his criticism of the DMK. "As finance minister, Chidambaram should be privy to various deals involving DMK ministers in the state and at the Centre. However, he has not talked about any of them, and embarrassed the DMK. He has chosen issues where the hurt is limited."

The anti-Chidambaram faction within the TMC argues that the minister has no business playing the Opposition rule, when his party is actually in alliance with the ruling DMK. "For one thing, people these days are too sharp, and able to distinguish between mock-fights involving political allies and real battles. For another, Chidambaram could have made the same charges through the state-level leaders of the TMC, that too possibly as a pointer for correction, and not as a charge against the government."

Then there is the corruption charge levelled by TMC legislator A Chellakumar against Agriculture Minister Veerapandi Arumugam a while ago. The minister, under instructions from Karunanidhi, promptly hit back with a defamation suit. Says the TMC source: "Moopanar has made it clear that the MLA will have to defend himself, and the party will not interfere in the matter. That being the case, I wonder why Moopanar has not taken up with Chidambaram the question of his recent tirades, which can strain the DMK-TMC ties to a point of no return."

DMK sources meanwhile point out that even Chidambaram could not have won his Sivaganga parliamentary seat without support from the DMK. By now levelling charges against the state government, the argument runs, Chidambaram is running the risk of antagonising the very cadres who helped him get elected in the first place.

As threats go, nothing could be clearer, could it?