ID :
158592
Mon, 01/31/2011 - 20:07
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/158592
The shortlink copeid
DMK, Cong to continue alliance for TN polls: Karunanidhi
New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) Ending any doubts, Dravida
Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) and Congress on Monday decided to
continue their seven-year-old alliance to contest the
forthcoming Assembly polls in south Indian state of Tamil Nadu
and to set up a committee to thrash out the modalities of
seat-sharing.
With just four months left for the Assembly elections in
the state, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who arrived here
yesterday on a 3-day visit, met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi
and discussed the political situation in the state.
"I met Sonia Gandhi for 45 minutes. As a result, the
DMK-Congress coalition is continuing," he told reporters at
the Tamil Nadu House here.
The meeting, which was scheduled to be held in the
afternoon took place in the evening, and the decision to
continue the alliance ended all speculation about any rift
between the coalition partners in the wake of the 2G spectrum
scam which saw A Raja forced to quit the Union Cabinet.
Karunanidhi said a committee will be formed to discuss the
number of seats and the constituencies to be contested by both
parties.
"A committee will be constituted. It will discuss the
modalities for seat-sharing. The committee will decide the
seats and constituencies of both parties," he said after the
meeting, during which DMK Parliamentary Party leader T R
Baalu, Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran and MP Kanimozhi were
present.
The DMK chief said the committee members will be soon
announced and it will start discussing the modalities.
The members of the committee will be made public soon, he
said. After seat-sharing talks are over the coalition will be
ready for the polls, which are due in May, he said.
The Congress and DMK had entered into an alliance in 2004
and contested the Lok Sabha elections that year, the 2006
Assembly elections and the 2009 general elections together.
The decision comes a day after Karunanidhi announced that
PMK will be part of the alliance, but PMK founder S Ramadoss
said his party has not yet taken any decision on the alliance
question.
Asked about Ramadoss's statement, Karunanidhi said
discussions were on and both the parties have not taken a
decision yet.
Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) and Congress on Monday decided to
continue their seven-year-old alliance to contest the
forthcoming Assembly polls in south Indian state of Tamil Nadu
and to set up a committee to thrash out the modalities of
seat-sharing.
With just four months left for the Assembly elections in
the state, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who arrived here
yesterday on a 3-day visit, met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi
and discussed the political situation in the state.
"I met Sonia Gandhi for 45 minutes. As a result, the
DMK-Congress coalition is continuing," he told reporters at
the Tamil Nadu House here.
The meeting, which was scheduled to be held in the
afternoon took place in the evening, and the decision to
continue the alliance ended all speculation about any rift
between the coalition partners in the wake of the 2G spectrum
scam which saw A Raja forced to quit the Union Cabinet.
Karunanidhi said a committee will be formed to discuss the
number of seats and the constituencies to be contested by both
parties.
"A committee will be constituted. It will discuss the
modalities for seat-sharing. The committee will decide the
seats and constituencies of both parties," he said after the
meeting, during which DMK Parliamentary Party leader T R
Baalu, Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran and MP Kanimozhi were
present.
The DMK chief said the committee members will be soon
announced and it will start discussing the modalities.
The members of the committee will be made public soon, he
said. After seat-sharing talks are over the coalition will be
ready for the polls, which are due in May, he said.
The Congress and DMK had entered into an alliance in 2004
and contested the Lok Sabha elections that year, the 2006
Assembly elections and the 2009 general elections together.
The decision comes a day after Karunanidhi announced that
PMK will be part of the alliance, but PMK founder S Ramadoss
said his party has not yet taken any decision on the alliance
question.
Asked about Ramadoss's statement, Karunanidhi said
discussions were on and both the parties have not taken a
decision yet.
