Tamil Nadu year-ender 2023: Senthil Balaji's arrest to Ponmudy's conviction and the deluge

It was a year that put the ruling DMK on the defensive. But, the devastating December deluge has changed the narrative, helping the party step up the offensive against an 'unresponsive' Union Government with renewed vigour. The DMK was two down after the arrest of Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the conviction of party veteran and Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy in a corruption case. In between, it had to battle the Sanatan row kicked up by the DMK's crown prince and Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. Writes ETV Bharat's MC Rajan.

Chennai: From being on the defensive, the ruling DMK has turned into an offensive mode, sharpening the attack on the Union Government over insufficient flood relief. If Chennai, the state capital, and three neighbouring districts were battered by torrential rains due to cyclone Michaung in the first week of December, unprecedented downpours and floods wreaked havoc subsequently in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts in the south in less than a fortnight.

Tamil Nadu calls on Prime Minister Narendra Modi:

With Tamil Nadu becoming a frequent victim of nature's fury, Chief Minister MK Stalin called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and pressed for declaring the deluge as a national calamity and the immediate release of Rs 2000 crore aid for emergency relief. But, the Union Finance Minister's remark that the Centre is not an ATM and her refusal to declare the calamity as a national disaster citing the absence of guidelines provoked a war of words between the DMK and the BJP. While state Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu hit back accusing her of 'insulting the people of Tamil Nadu'.

“Considering the enormity and magnitude of the disaster, Tamil Nadu has sought a total of Rs 21,692 crore including an emergency aid of Rs 2000 crore. But, we have received only Rs 450 crore which is not aid but the second installment of the Centre's share of the State Disaster Response Fund. We demanded to declare the rain havoc as a 'calamity of severe nature' and release funds from the NDRF. From 2015 onward, Tamil Nadu has demanded a total of Rs 1, 27,655.80 crore for flood relief. However, the Centre had released a paltry Rs 5884.49 crore, which is 4.61 per cent of what was asked for,” he had said.

Going further, “We are not asking for their father's property,” retorted DMK Youth Wing Secretary and Sports and Special Programmes Implementation Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. Sitharaman reminded the young minister that he is the grandson of a great Tamil scholar (Karunanidhi) and his language should befit his office. However, the state has yet to get a firm response on the quantum of financial assistance. Quite interestingly, the opposition AIADMK too extended qualified support with former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) blaming the Centre for never having provided the financial assistance sought by Tamil Nadu during times of natural calamities. And, observers are of the view that this will certainly have its echo in the upcoming LS polls.

Enforcement Directorate arrested the Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji:

Earlier in June, the DMK establishment was rattled when the ED arrested Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case. Upon his arrest, Governor RN Ravi unilaterally dismissed him from the cabinet without the chief Minister's advice. Within hours, he made a climb down by 'keeping it in abeyance'. The case pertains to a cash-for-jobs scam when he was Transport Minister in the previous Jayalalithaa ministry. Denied bail by the courts, Balaji remains under judicial custody ever since. But, he continues to be a minister without portfolio which has come under criticism from the Madras High Court.

Madras High Court convicts Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy:

In a political and legal blow to the DMK, the Madras High Court convicted DMK veteran and Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy and his wife in a disproportionate assets case registered in 2011. With this, the DMK's claim that the party had never been convicted for corruption unlike AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, took a severe beating. Quite interestingly, Justice G Jayachandran, who handled the files as Law Secretary in the then Jayalalithaa government, overturned a trial court order acquitting the duo, and sentenced them to a three-year jail term. The sentence has been suspended for a month to enable them to appeal in the Supreme Court.

Though Ponmudy, party satrap in the Villupuram region, had lost his ministerial berth, the issue will haunt the DMK during the upcoming LS poll campaign. However, analysts believe that the opposition, especially the AIADMK which is in disarray, could not take advantage of it. It could only put the DMK on the defensive, it is observed. Neither did the BJP, which released the DMK files, listing corruption charges against Stalin, Udhayanidhi, Kanimozhi, and other DMK leaders. For, it is still a minor player in electoral politics in the state.

Sanatan Row:

The Sanatan row kicked up by Udhayanidhi Stalin in September was gleefully picked up by the BJP to corner the Congress and the INDIA Block in the assembly elections to five states, especially in the Hindi heartland. To his credit, neither Udhayanidhi had backtracked nor the party had disowned him on this. He received support from the rank file of the DMK with former Union Minister and party Deputy General Secretary A Raja and others standing by him. But, it proved to be political education for the DMK's crown prince.

AIADMK battle:

EPS secured the judicial imprimatur for his elevation as AIADMK general secretary and for the expulsion of his bete noire, O Panneerselvam (OPS) and a few of his loyalists from the party. On August 25, a Division Bench of Madras High Court dismissed the appeals filed by OPS and others challenging a single judge order upholding their expulsion by the June 11, 2022 AIADMK General Council. Subsequently, the Election Commission also accorded recognition to EPS as the party general secretary and this proved to be the end of the road for OPS. After another court order restraining OPS from using the party flag, letterhead, and name, he removed the flag from his vehicle and even gave up the 'Karai Veshti' (Dhoti with AIADMK border).

2024 Lok Sabha polls:

With the 2024 LS poll on the horizon, the Dravidian majors, the DMK, and AIADMK have activated their election machinery. With its strong alliance intact, the DMK has taken the lead followed by the saffron party, which is focusing on a few strongholds like Kanniyakumari and Coimbatore. Having snapped its alliance with the BJP, the AIADMK under EPS has cast its net to hook in potential allies.

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