MNM's Pazha Karuppiah calls DMK '3rd front' party after rumoured alliance talks with Cong

Former AIADMK MLA and DMK member Pazha Karuppiah on March 4, 2021, met reporters at a press conference outside Makkal Needhi Maiam office and spoke strongly against the political forces at play. In his comment, he called the DMK BJP's 'B team' and attacked other regional, as well as national parties whose 'struggle to come to power, has not yielded any fruits.'

Pazha Karuppiah recalled the 2G scam and said, it was the reason DMK has been unable to come to power, it was the reason AIADMK could win, and it was the reason PM Modi could win, he opined. He further added that the 'dreaded' DMK-Congress alliance brings nothing but failure for the State.

'We are not the B-team in Tamil Nadu, Congress is the B team, DMK is the B team. Those who don't like our (MNM) growth, those who are calling us vote-cutters are in fact the B-team because they're concerned we will form the 3rd alternative front that people will vote for,' he said.

READ: Congress-DMK deadlock over seat-sharing continues; KS Alagiri refutes talking to 3rd front

Notably, there were reports on Thursday that suggested a meeting was held between the top brass of Tamil Nadu Congress and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), triggering speculations of DMK's ally possibly joining the third front ahead of polls in the State. Congress is currently miffed with DMK's decision to allot between 20-25 seats as opposed to 40 seats initially asked. However, TNCC chief KS Alagiri dismissed the reports and maintained that it was for DMK to decide on seat-sharing between the two allies and said that the ball was in their court. The speculated Third Front is most likely to be led by Kamal Haasan along with other allies opposing the Dravidian parties and their allies.

READ: DMK wins TN seat-sharing bargain with IUML & MMK; CPI-M & VCK rebuffed on seeking too many

Pazha Karuppiah's political exploits:

It must be also noted that Pazha Karuppiah, who is a card-holding member of Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam now was previously with Janata Dal, Indian National Congress, Vaiko's MDMK (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), AIADMK from 2010-2016 and DMK between (2019-2020). 

Pazha Karuppiah was promptly expelled from AIADMK by then party general secretary late J Jayalalithaa for 'indulging in anti-party activities and ideology, and bringing it great disrepute.' A day later he resigned from his assembly constituency in Chennai's Harbour area and his house was reportedly attacked by unknown assailants following it.

MNM's Tamil Nadu outreach 

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Kamal Haasan's MNM received only around 4% of the overall votes, but it managed to capture 10% of all urban pockets, thereby explaining the party's city-town focus in the second leg of campaigning for Assembly elections.

READ: AIADMK to attempt alliance negotiations with DMDK again as Vijaykanth threatens to go solo

READ: More to Sasikala's 'retirement'? Jayalalithaa's own 1989 'political exit' in the spotlight