MDMK, DMK part ways

By M. R. Ventakesh

CHENNAI, MARCH 31. The NDA in Tamil Nadu suffered a major jolt, with the MDMK today snapping ties with the DMK and deciding to contest in all the constituencies - barring those being contested by the BJP - in the May 10 Assembly poll.

Announcing the decision after a four-hour meeting of the MDMK's political affairs committee, the party chief and MP, Mr. Vaiko, said that while its ``good relationship'' with the BJP would continue, the MDMK had been ``pushed into this option'' due to the DMK's ``uncharitable attitude'' on constituency allotment.

The MDMK's formal decision came hours after the DMK president and Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, leading the NDA in the State, declared in the afternoon that there ``will be no ties'' with the MDMK.

Mr. Karunanidhi had also ruled out any reconsideration of the issue related to 18 constituencies given to the MDMK from the first list of 43 submitted by the latter and when only three others remained to be finalised.

Asserting that the MDMK would ``never quit'' the NDA led by the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, at the Centre as one of its most trusted ally, Mr. Vaiko said his party's decision to go on its own was ``not as a third front, but as an alternative front''.

Though the campaign strategy would be revealed at the MDMK's special election conference at Coimbatore on April 14, when its poll manifesto would also be released, Mr. Vaiko said, ``We don't consider anybody our enemy; we will tell the people to choose us... (but) our campaign will not affect our good ties with the BJP.''

Asked whether the MDMK's decision will not defeat the NDA's objective in Tamil Nadu: ``I have been pushed into this situation.'' Categorically ruling out any talks with the AIADMK, Mr. Vaiko added that he would not be responsible for ``any split in the anti-AIADMK votes''.

Explaining how he had with ``pure intentions'' campaigned in the last two months urging the people to vote back the DMK to power and worked for the NDA's success, Mr. Vaiko said it was eventually in the constituency allocation that the MDMK got a raw deal, which hurt its cadres most.

But when ultimately Mr. Karunanidhi himself had said that there could be no ties or talks with the MDMK, it amounted to being ``expelled from the alliance by design'', Mr. Vaiko alleged. ``We are going to the polls with confidence as we want to usher in a renaissance in Tamil Nadu, free of religious and caste conflicts.''

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