Will too many cooks spoil the broth?

Chennai, Apr 29 (UNI) Although they will be seen only as 'also rans' in the wide spectrum of electoral politics, for the first time, Tamil Nadu will be witnessing a plethora of parties contesting in the May eight Assembly polls.

Though the battle for supremacy will be between the two Dravidian fronts - ruling AIADMK and opposition DMK -number of new parties have mushroomed in recent years and taken the leap into the arena.

While the AIADMK-led combine comprises MDMK, Dalit Panthers of India, Indian National League, Janata Dal (Secular) and breakway factions of INTUC and AIFB, the DMK-led DPA has in its fold Congress, Pattali Makkal Katchi, CPI, CPI-M and Indian Union Muslim League.

Several organisations, both caste and social, expressed support to the leading fronts.

In this context, it is to be seen whether the presence of new parties will only add to the numbers or whether they will spoil the party for the major fronts in some measure.

Significantly, a national party like the BJP, which won four seats in alliance with the DMK in the 2001 State polls, found itself left out this time and was forced to go it alone.

The BJP snapped ties with the DMK and switched to the AIADMK during the realignment of political forces before the 2004 Lok Sabha polls. The honyemoon was short-lived and the BJP parted ways after blaming the AIADMK for the rout in the Parliamentary polls.

MORE UNI GV AA MA VC1252