JUNE 18- ‘Retreat’ is not a word in J Jayalalithaa’s dictionary. Hence when the Tamil Nadu chief minister decided to withdraw her fifth candidate from the Rajya Sabha election fray, it was a surprise. But look closely and you realise it is a tactical retreat, with the chess player in Jayalalithaa looking at how this move made now will help her a year from now.
The AIADMK had fielded five candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu. The DMK had fielded Karunanidhi’s daughter, Kanimozhi. But out of the blue, the CPI fielded senior leader D Raja, sending calculations into a tizzy. To solicit support for Raja, the CPI leaders met Jayalalithaa in Chennai on Monday.
And then the unexpected happened. Jaya decided to withdraw her candidate to let Raja win. Surprising considering the cadre was not in favour of such a move, the argument being whether the AIADMK really gains by sending D Raja to the Upper House.
Jaya obviously thinks there is merit in backing Raja. At a time when three chief ministers from the eastern part of India are forming a Federal Front, the Left parties are feeling left out of a non-Congress, non-BJP formation. And for the communists, Jayalalithaa with her ambitions to play a decisive role at the Centre is a quality player to have on its side. The move to support Raja, at the cost of her own party candidate, is therefore a smart move, seen through the prism of 2014. A grateful Raja and the CPI will now bat for Amma in New Delhi. Raja is already singing praises of the quality of governance in Tamil Nadu under Jayalalithaa.
The Left parties have already started making moves to form a Third Front sans Mamata. CPI general secretary Survavaram Sudhakar Reddy, who rubbished the Federal Front as meaningless, has promised to work with like-minded parties to form such a Front.
The BJP won’t be too pleased with Amma’s overtures to the Left. The BJP leaders were beaming when Jaya described Narendra Modi as a friend and praised him as an able administrator. The hope was that Jaya could be persuaded to do business with Modi-led BJP post the results. But the Raja googly is proof that Amma is keeping her options open on who shall be king in 2014. Or perhaps Queen.
The DMK is certain Amma is dreaming big. Kanimozhi points out how the posters in Chennai are screaming out aloud what AIADMK ministers say at every meeting. That Jayalalithaa should be PM.
Should their wish come true, they may do well to remember that the first stone towards the throne was cast by backing a Raja.
INDIA TODAY
