2G verdict could spark political realignment, boost DMK, Congress prospects: Analysts
A special court acquitted on Thursday all accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam cases, deciding the fate of former telecom minister A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi.
The acquittal of DMK leaders, former telecom minister A Raja and DMK patriarch Karunanidhi’s daughter and Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi, could potentially influence the 2019 Lok Sabha election besides sparking an immediate political realignment in the state.
The first signs were visible in the RK Nagar assembly bypolls saw a surge in voting after the 2G verdict was pronounced by a trial court in Delhi on Thursday. The verdict came three hours into the voting in the prestigious seat once held by former chief minister and AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa.
“Had this verdict come 15 days ago, it could very well have been a different story in Gujarat,” said political analyst Prof Ramu Manivannan of the Madras University, as it remioves the corruption taint on the opposition party.
The acquittal is expected to a political realignment in Tamil Nadu with smaller formations gravitating towards the DMK, which had 2 percentage points less vote share than the AIADMK in the last assembly polls.
In the RK Nagar bypoll, smaller parties such as the the VCK, MDMK, and Left parties are supporting the DMK candidate, N Marudu Ganesh. At present, DMK allies are Congress and IUML in the state, which were together in 2016 general elections to assembly as well.
“The same corruption symbol of 2G, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi used in the recent Gujarat elections to taint the Congress by mocking at Kapil Sibal’s zero-loss theory, will now give added ammunition to the DMK and its ally Congress. Already the DMK is claiming moral and political victory,” Manivannan said.
The judgment also gives a chance to the Congress to change the narrative in neighbouring Karnataka that goes to assembly polls in a few months -- to dub the BJP as a party of liars who came to power in 2014 through a propaganda based on falsehoods, Prof Manivannan said.
A trailer of the Congress narrative was there for all to see in the statements from its leaders – in Delhi and in Tamil Nadu as well – after the 2G case verdict.
However, there are worries that the BJP could try to wean away the DMK from the Congress fold.
“The relationship between Congress and DMK is strong and there would be little chance of that,” said TNCC chief S Thirunavukkarasar.
Reading the BJP’s likely moves, two senior Congress leaders called on Kanimozhi in Delhi within a couple of hours of the verdict. Kanimozhi also asserted that the DMK and the Congress were together. But she left the door open to say that it was not for her to be commenting on what the future held.
However, a DMK leader unwilling to be named, ruled out any alignment with the BJP and said the PM’s courtesy call on Kalaignar Karunanidhi was just that.