After MGR’s statement, the CPI (M) got convinced of the AIADMK’s intent to fight the Congress (R), the Congress (O) and the DMK.
Veteran Marxist N. Sankaraiah, who passed away in Chennai on Wednesday, had in 1973 performed an uncommon act in the rough and tumble of politics — making way for the AIADMK candidate in line with his party’s decision.
What he did was recalled by the AIADMK’s former interim general secretary, V.K. Sasikala, in her condolence message. When the by-election schedule was announced for the Dindigul Lok Sabha constituency in April 1973, the political situation in Tamil Nadu was — to borrow a term from economics — “overheating”.
The ruling DMK had suffered a split after its treasurer M.G. Ramachandran quit the party in October 1972 and formed the AIADMK.
The fledgling party teamed up with the Communist Party of India (CPI). CPI leader M. Kalyanasundaram and MGR presented to Governor K.K. Shah a memorandum of charges against the DMK government. The CPI(M) and the CPI were not in the same camp those days. The opposing formations, which had fought the 1971 Assembly election, were witnessing churns.
The DMK’s former ally, Congress (Ruling), led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, decided to go it alone. It put up K.R. Cheemaichamy, who was earlier in the Swatantra Party.
The Congress (O), with K. Kamaraj as its guiding force, announced the candidature of N.S.V. Chithan, who later represented Dindigul thrice in the Lok Sabha. The DMK’s nominee was Pon. Muthuramalingam, who became Labour and Information Minister in the Karunanidhi Cabinet of 1989-91, while the AIADMK’s choice was K. Maya Thevar, a lawyer practising in Chennai.
It was in these circumstances that the CPI(M) decided in early April to field Sankaraiah, who had served as the Madurai West MLA from 1967 to 1971.
The then secretary of the State unit, A. Balasubramaniam, said that though the AIADMK opposed both the DMK and the Congress (O), it had not clarified its stand on the Congress (R), whose policies had been leading to “increased unemployment and favouring the exploiting classes”. After MGR issued a statement a few weeks later, Balasubramaniam announced that his party was convinced of the AIADMK’s intent to fight the Congress (R), the Congress (O) and the DMK. On the last day of withdrawal of nominations (April 28), Sankaraiah opted out.
When polling took place three weeks later, the AIADMK scored its maiden electoral victory. In the 1977 Assembly election, the AIADMK and the CPI(M) struck a deal, in which the latter was allotted 20 seats. It won 12 of them. This time, Sankaraiah was elected from Madurai East.
