TMC to announce strategy today

By Suresh Nambath and Radha Venkatesan

CHENNAI, FEB. 21. While the Congress-AIADMK alliance appears stuck on the question of ``power in Pondicherry,'' the TMC, facing pressure from the third front votaries, today indicated that its electoral strategy would be announced on Thursday.

For the Congress, the alliance with the AIADMK hangs precariously on whether it would head the alliance in Pondicherry more than on the pro-LTTE leanings of the PMK and the single- digit offer of seats for the Tamil Nadu unit.

According to sources, the AIADMK has flung a ``humiliating'' offer of nine seats for the ruling Congress in Pondicherry, on par with the minor player PMK, whose one-point programme now is to head the next government in Pondicherry.

Apparently, the AIADMK is unrelenting on its offer of an equal number of seats for the ruling Congress and the PMK in the Union Territory.

``If we have to save the alliance with the AIADMK, we will lose Pondicherry. But the Congress high command is unwilling to let go of the Union Territory,'' says a senior Congress leader. Therein lies the rub.

``We do not want to give up the Number One position in the Union Territory. We are awaiting the decision of the party president, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi,'' according to the Pondicherry Congress president, Mr. V. Narayanasamy.

The agitated Congressmen, both in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, feel that the ``paltry offer'' is part of the AIADMK's calculated strategy to off-load the Congress from the alliance. The AIADMK leader, Ms. Jayalalitha, who informed the TMC president, Mr. G.K. Moopanar, about the possible entry of the PMK into its front, gave no such clue to the Congress.

And in what was seen as a ``snub,'' Ms. Jayalalitha admitted two Congress councillors, besides 35 Congress workers into her party.

Actually, the AIADMK would not mind if the Congress leaves the front without taking the TMC along. This would automatically solve the problem of the leadership of the front in Pondicherry. Besides, this would reduce chances of a third front cutting into the opposition votes in Tamil Nadu.

Although the official stand of the AIADMK is that there are no problems about the TMC and the Congress working in tandem, the difficulties for the party in seat negotiations are also on account of the joint bargaining.

Now, according to AIADMK leaders, the possibility of the TMC share going up would depend on the Congress quitting the front.

The Congress exit may prove to be beneficial for the TMC too as it would help improve the offer of seats for the TMC which is now at 30 in Tamil Nadu. The TMC may also get the Tiruchi Lok Sabha seat which has been offered to the Congress now.

But the TMC president, Mr. G.K. Moopanar, who has given a commitment of working together with the Congress, may find it difficult to abandon his parent party, though many of his partymen are in favour of such an option.

Unlike the Congress, the TMC is more concerned about the seats on offer in Tamil Nadu than heading the next government in Pondicherry.

The Congress general secretary, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad, is said to have informed the TMC that the Pondicherry issue was a stumbling block in finalising the alliance with AIADMK.

Meanwhile, the TMC chief is said to have requested the potential third front constituents, including the Dalit Panthers of India, to wait till tomorrow for his decision.

Accordingly, the DPI convenor, Mr. R. Thirumavalavan, who was scheduled to announce today his decision on the alliance invitation from the DMK, deferred it till tomorrow.

Earlier in the day, emerging from a meeting with Mr. Moopanar, the TMC MP, Mrs. Jayanthi Natarajan, said the ``TMC is in touch with the Congress and a clear picture will emerge tomorrow.''

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Section  : Southern States
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