AIADMK, PMK clinch deal

By Suresh Nambath and Radha Venkatesan

CHENNAI, MAR. 5. Virtually shutting out the Congress from its electoral front, the AIADMK today concluded seat-sharing negotiations with the Paattali Makkal Katchi in both Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. As a result, the third front option of the TMC, which is not inclined to dump the Congress, gained a fresh lease of life.

After a meeting with the PMK founder, Dr. S. Ramadoss, the AIADMK general secretary, Ms. Jayalalitha, announced that the PMK would be given 27 seats in Tamil Nadu and 10 in Pondicherry. More importantly, she gave in to the PMK demand for leading the next government in Pondicherry in the event of the alliance winning a majority in the territorial Assembly.

As per the agreement signed by the two leaders, a PMK nominee would be the chief minister for the first half of the five-year term in Pondicherry. An AIADMK candidate would serve as the chief minister in the second half. Dr. Ramadoss told reporters later that he was ``satisfied'' with the arrangement.

The AIADMK decision to show the door to the Congress was conveyed to the TMC quite early today. A TMC delegation led by Mr. S.R. Balasubramaniam called on Ms. Jayalalitha immediately after the AIADMK-PMK accord. Although Mr. Balasubramaniam described the talks with Ms. Jayalalitha as ``cordial'', he said he did not want to say anything that would contradict the resolution of the TMC to work together with the Congress in the Assembly polls.

Ms. Jayalalitha spoke to the TMC chief, Mr. G.K. Moopanar, twice during the day on ``fresh proposals'' in the light of AIADMK-PMK accord. According to sources, the renewed offer is 40 seats, which the TMC is free to share with the Congress.

Mr. Moopanar is unwilling to ditch the Congress despite pressure from a pro-AIADMK section of the second-rung partymen who do not see any scope for a third front. He is continuing efforts to save the alliance with the AIADMK by trying to accommodate the Congress too. He is also in touch with the Congress high command to bring about a coordinated response to the changed situation.

The TMC election committee meeting ended inconclusively today. While the AIADMK had not set any ``deadline'', the committee would take a final decision tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the Pondicherry Chief Minister, Mr. P. Shanmugham, told reporters after a meeting with Mr. Moopanar that the Congress would not surrender its number one position in the Union Territory. ``While the alliance issue in Tamil Nadu is for Mr. Moopanar to decide, the Pondicherry issue will be decided by the Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi,'' he said.

Following today's developments, the votaries of a third front, the New Justice Party founder, Mr. A.C. Shanmugham, and the Makkal Tamil Desam Katchi president, Mr. S. Kannappan, met Mr. Moopanar.

The TNCC president, Mr. E.V.K.S. Elangovan, and Pondicherry Congress leaders, Mr. P. Shanmugham and Mr. V. Narayanasamy, are likely to go to New Delhi tomorrow to consult the Congress high command on the strategy for Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

Left seeks 40 seats

Ms. Jayalalitha held separate meetings with delegations of the CPI(M) and the CPI. The CPI(M) leader, Mr. K. Varadarajan, told reporters after the meeting that the CPI(M) had already committed itself to fighting the Assembly polls in the company of the AIADMK and the TMC. Asked specifically about the Congress being left out of the front, he said the CPI(M)'s concern was to arrive at a seat-sharing understanding with the AIADMK. The party had asked for 25 seats, he added.

The CPI State secretary, Mr. R. Nallakannu, said his party had demanded 15 seats from the AIADMK. Negotiations would continue, he added.

Left party leaders were unhappy with the ``low number'' of seats offered to them. However, Ms. Jayalalitha pointed out that the Left parties themselves had wanted more outfits accommodated in the secular front. And now, she was finding it difficult to share the available seats among the prospective allies.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Next     : Will swim and sink with TMC: Azad