PMK returns to NDA

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 25. Five months after it quit the ruling combination at the Centre, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) today returned to the National Democratic Alliance. The return of the PMK which has five MPs in the Lok Sabha was announced by the NDA convenor, Mr. George Fernandes, here this evening after the PMK chief, Dr. S. Ramadoss, and the MPs called on the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee. The meeting lasted 30 minutes.

A statement from the NDA convenor said that Dr. Ramadoss had expressed the desire of the PMK to rejoin the NDA. As chairman of the alliance, the Prime Minister welcomed them. Earlier, Dr. Ramadoss and his MPs called on Mr. Fernandes.

The PMK had quit the NDA on February 5 this year with its two Central Ministers, Mr. N.T. Shanmugam and Mr. E. Ponnuswamy, resigning from the Council of Ministers. On the question of seeking berth in the Ministry, Mr. Ponnuswamy told The Hindu that the matter was left to the Prime Minister.

The PMK pulled out of the NDA ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and later had an understanding with the AIADMK. As the PMK's aspirations of coming to power in Pondicherry were dashed after the polls, it once again started moving towards the NDA.

With the return of the PMK, the NDA has reclaimed part of its strength that got depleted between February and March this year when both the PMK and the Trinamool Congress snapped their links with the alliance. Meanwhile, the NDA acquired a new constituent in Mr. Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal last Sunday.

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