The Hindu : National : Janardhana Reddy calls on Karunanidhi

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Friday, May 14, 2004

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National

Janardhana Reddy calls on Karunanidhi

By Our Special Correspondent

The former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Janardhana Reddy, with the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, in Chennai on Thursday. M.K.Stalin, deputy general secretary, DMK, and G.K.Vasan, TNCC president, look on. — Photo: S. Thanthoni

CHENNAI, MAY. 13. The Congress leader, N. Janardhana Reddy, called on the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, this evening to persuade the DMK to be part of the new union government.

"We have asked him to reconsider," he said, emerging from the meeting that lasted about half-an-hour.

Asked what the response of the DMK chief was, he said Mr. Karunanidhi had called for a meeting of the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) and the DMK executive on May 15. After that he would go to New Delhi on May 16 and meet the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi.

Asked if the response could be interpreted as positive, the TNCC president, G.K.Vasan, who was present at the meet, said: "from now on everything would be positive."

Mr. Reddy told the Press that he had come to Chennai to "congratulate Mr. Karunanidhi on the unparalleled" success of the DPA and inform him that Ms. Gandhi would be meeting the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, tomorrow to stake claim to form the Government.

"By the time I reached here, Ms. Gandhi had spoken to Mr. Karunanidhi, and explained to him the details of the present political situation," he said.Earlier, Mr. Karunanidhi said he would travel to New Delhi on "May 15 or 16" to meet the Congress president. Ms. Gandhi had extended an invitation over telephone to the DMK leader to travel to the Capital.

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