Pre-poll jitters have gripped Tamil Nadu’s political circles, with PMK founder S. Ramdoss entangled in a fierce tug-of-war over coalitions. The DMK’s relentless campaign to woo the regional outfit has intensified, threatening to upend the party’s internal equilibrium just months before elections.

Ramdoss, revered as PMK’s moral compass, is balancing conflicting pressures. DMK envoys have flooded PMK’s corridors with offers of prime seats in Vanniyar strongholds like Dharmapuri and Villupuram. In return, they seek PMK’s backing to fortify their anti-AIADMK bulwark.

This courtship isn’t without friction. PMK’s rank and file remains divided. Pro-BJP elements decry DMK’s secular posturing, while pragmatists highlight the perils of going alone after the 2021 debacle. Ramdoss’s son Anbumani, the sitting Rajya Sabha MP, advocates caution, wary of repeating past alliance misfires with AIADMK.

DMK’s escalation includes high-level delegations and subtle threats of rival alliances poaching PMK turf. Stalin’s strategists view PMK as the missing piece to clinch a supermajority, especially after consolidating with Congress and Left parties.

Ramdoss’s travails echo PMK’s chequered history of flip-flops—from NDA alliances to DMK experiments. A 2019 tie-up with AMMK and BJP yielded zero seats, fueling cadre frustration. Now, with Ramdoss aging, generational shifts add complexity.

Opposition fronts watch eagerly. AIADMK eyes PMK’s return, while BJP dangles national leadership prospects. Yet DMK’s machine-like organization and development push in north Tamil Nadu tilt the scales.

Stakeholders predict a resolution by early next year. For Ramdoss, it’s a make-or-break call: align with power or preserve purity? The outcome will ripple across the Dravidian heartland, deciding if PMK survives as a kingmaker or becomes a footnote.