Chennai: Battle lines are being drawn for the Assembly polls due in April-May in Tamil Nadu with major political parties firming up or in the process of striking alliances.
While the ruling DMK had already had two rounds of talks with its key ally and UPA coalition leader Congress, it had netted the PMK, Indian Union Muslim League and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi into its basket.
The opposition AIADMK had already launched talks with DMDK, floated by actor Vijayakant, MDMK and the Left parties besides allotting seats to minor parties like Puthiya Tamizhagam, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Republican Party of India and All India Forward Block.
The AIADMK's efforts for a rainbow alliance had succeeded with the DMDK joining it. The BJP is waging a lone battle for the second time as neither of the two major Dravidian parties had entertained it.
The alliances had undergone a sea change from the one formed during the 2006 Assembly polls.While the DMK-Congress alliance and the AIADMK-MDMK tie up remained intact, the Left parties have changed sides from DMK camp to AIADMK side since the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.
The PMK, known for shifting its loyalties, had done it once again by shifting from AIADMK camp to that of the DMK-Congress combine.