The AIADMK’s decision in the RS vice chairman polls is expected to be a precursor to the relationship between the two parties for the Parliament elections which are a few months away.

So far, the AIADMK is maintaining distance from the BJP asserting that the relationship is only at the government level for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu.

In the Rajya Sabha, which has a total strength of 245 members, the AIADMK has 13 members which could tilt the scales in favour of the BJP or the opposition candidate, since both the alliances are short of majority.

The numbers are evenly poised between the Opposition and treasury benches with the deciding votes left with the bigger regional players. The winning candidate needs 123 votes and the combined opposition, including the Telugu Desam Party which quit the NDA, has 120 votes.

The BJP with 69 members has the highest number of MPs and its alliance has around 102 votes and the support of the AIADMK will be crucial for the NDA. Some of the parties like the TRS are maintaining equidistance from both the BJP and Congress so far, while the Biju Janata Dal is undecided.

Just a month ago, AIADMK mouthpiece ‘Namadhu Puratchi Thalavi Amma’ had carried an article describing the two parties as a ‘double barrel gun’ and stating that future alliance with the BJP would be inevitable. However, two staff of the organ were removed on charges of allowing the article and the mouthpiece carried a clarification that the article did not reflect the views of the party.

The organ attacked NEET as a conspiracy of other states which lack medical education resources to exploit the higher number of medical seats in Tamil Nadu. On April 4, the party organ came out with a stinging poem on the Cauvery issue accusing the Centre of keeping ‘votes above judgments’ and discriminating against Tamil Nadu. Earlier, the organ also carried a poem justifying the black flag protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Tamil Nadu.

A year ago, in the elections to the President and Vice President in July and August, the AIADMK had backed the BJP. All the AIADMK Rajya Sabha MPs barring Sasikala Pushpa are with the ruling party. The voting for the vice chairman’s post will also be a test for Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to show his control over the party MPs.