Vijayakanth clinches deal with Vaiko's 4-party front in TN

Ending suspense surrounding his party's electoral tie-up for the May 16 assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam founder Vijayakanth on Wednesday aligned with Vaiko-led People's Welfare Front with the actor-turned-politician being declared as the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance.

The DMDK got the lion's share of 124 of the 234 assembly constituencies while PWF constituents -- Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Communist Party of India and 
and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, will field their candidates from the remaining 110.

"You (Vijayakanth) will be the king, kingmakers (PWF leaders) will make you the king," Vaiko told Vijayakanth, adding, the alliance will also be known as "Captain Vijayakanth Front."

The seat-sharing agreement signed by Vijayakant, Vaiko, G Ramakrishnan (CPI-M), R Mutharasan (CPI) and Thol Thirumavalavan (VCK) was released to media.

The agreement also said Vijayakanth would be the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance.

If elected, the front will have a coalition government, a rare proposition in Tamil Nadu politics, the leaders said.

The development, however, was ridiculed by the BJP, which had actively wooed the DMDK in its effort to sew up a 2014-like the NDA coalition, while the DMK did not seem to take it seriously.

Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan claimed that the PWF-DMDK combination, "will not win a single seat."

"They are confident that they will not win a single seat and have therefore named brother Captain (Vijayakanth) as CM candidate in anticipation of at least securing deposit," he said.

Vijayakanth, an actor-turned-politician, is addressed as Captain by supporters and cinema industry colleagues.

Radhakrishnan chided the Vaiko-led PWF for going back on its policy of not naming a CM candidate prior to elections.

Speaking to reporters, Radhakrishnan extended his greetings to the DMDK founder on being named the chief ministerial candidate, irrespective of "whether he becomes CM or not."

Vaiko continuing at the helm of affairs and Vijayakanth being named as the chief ministerial candidate reminded him of a popular Tamil comedy scene, he said.

"The BJP will face the polls with enhanced strength and we will accept anyone coming to our (headed) alliance," he said adding the front will be instrumental in forming of the next government.

Tamil Nadu is set to witness a multi-cornered contest among the fronts led by AIADMK, DMK, DMDK-PWF, BJP and PMK.

BJP National Executive Member L Ganesan said that the DMDK and PWF joining hands had brought about a 'clarity' to the state's political situation.

DMK leader M K Stalin also did not seem to take the new front seriously.

"We are doing our work," was his cryptic response to reporters' queries in this regard.

TMC leader and former Union Minister G K Vasan indicated that the PWF-DMDK arrangement was nothing new as "it had been discussed widely" over the past few days.

Earlier, the breakthrough in alliance parleys came after Vijayakanth, who recently declared that his party would go it alone in the polls, held talks with leaders of the PWF, led by MDMK's Vaiko.

The move is considered a setback for the DMK which had hoped to rope in all key anti-AIADMK forces under its leadership and made sustained efforts to bring in Vijayakanth. 

Likening Vijayakanth to Yudhistra of Mahabharata Vaiko said, "Bheema, Arjuna, Nakul and Sahadeva" (reference to four PWF leaders) will not allow others to get near him and they would take on rivals first.

Vaiko, the coordinator of the PWF, said he would be the "Senapathi (Commander) of the PWF-DMDK forces" that would take on the AIADMK and the DMK.

He said,"this is the alliance expected by the people, this is a great front that would usher in change and be victorious."

Thirumavalavan, Ramakrishnan and Mutharasan too praised Vijayakant and said their combine would emerge victorious.