‘Printing error’ raises many questions over AIADMK-led alliance in byelection

The name matters, more so in politics. This has been reflected in the way the AIADMK has conducted itself ever since the announcement of Erode (East) by-election, scheduled for February 27.

On Wednesday morning, when the party’s office was declared open for the election work, the banner placed there had the caption, “AIADMK-led National Democratic Progressive Alliance.” In the evening, the caption was changed to read the “National Democratic Alliance [NDA].”

Erode (East) bypoll | PM Modi’s picture prominent in Panneerselvam group’s election office banner

When told that the AIADMK did not use the phrase - National Democratic Alliance - in the past, even during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, K.A. Sengottaiyan, former Minister who leads the election team in the party, dismissed it as a “printing error.” By the time the error was spotted, the banner was put up and it was too late to correct it. “I will have it corrected,” he told The Hindu. Late in the day, the banner was further modified as “AIADMK-led alliance.”

Apart from a host of leaders, the banner contains images of chiefs of alliance parties such as G.K. Vasan of Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), K. Krishnasamy of the Puthiya Tamilagam and M. Jagan Moorthy of Puratchi Bharatham. Pictures of BJP’s leaders are conspicuously missing. In the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly polls, the BJP was part of the AIADMK-led front.

Erode (East) bypoll | We were only waiting for party colleagues in front of BJP office: Jayakumar

Asked whether the absence of BJP’s leaders could be construed as national party not being part of the front, D. Jayakumar, the AIADMK’s organisation secretary, replied on Thursday that as far as the State was concerned, his party was the lead constituent of the NDA. “We are now, at the beginning of the election campaign. Only after finalising the composition of the alliance, leaders of all the parties will figure on the banner,” he said.

Recalling that Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who took part in the seat sharing negotiations with AIADMK and other constituents of the alliance in 2019, had said that the alliance was led by the AIADMK in the State, Mr. Jayakumar said this position continued even today.

Meanwhile, M. Thambi Durai, leader of the AIADMK’s parliamentary party, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and congratulated him for having presented a “growth-oriented budget” which focussed on the welfare of the common man.

(with inputs from S.P. Saravanan in Erode)