There is no change in TMC-DMK alliance, avers Moopanar

alliance from the DMK president and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi who had recently said that his party executive would take a decision on the matter.

Despite persistent queries on the issue, Moopanar declined to spell out the TMC line of action. He merely stated that any decision would be taken only after consultations with his partymen. Since Tuesday, when he arrived in the city after a long sojourn in Delhi, Moopanar has been holding discussions with partymen, eliciting their views on the alliance issue.

To a direct query on whether the DMK-TMC alliance will continue, he replied, “That is for my party to decide. I cannot say anything now. Even when the TMC was formed, we consulted partymen, friends and well-wishers. I cannot say anything without talking to all of them” he added.

Aiadmk: Asked to comment on AIADMK (J) leader Jayalalitha’s statement on Wednesday that she would welcome any overture from the TMC for an alliance between the two parties, Moopanar shot back, “You know on what grounds the Tamil Maanila Congress was formed in 1996.” When the reporter replied, “On the anti-AIADMK plank”, Moopanar asked “Isn’t it clear then?” Moreover, the situation had not changed much during the past one and a half years, he added.

The Congress was the last party in the State to contest on its own strength in 1967, he said, adding that both the AIADMK and the DMK had always forged alliances for the elections. Listing out the various options before him, he said the TMC had the option of either continuing the alliance or breaking it. “We can also fight on our own,” he admitted. There was always a third option, wherein his party could opt out of elections altogether, he remarked. When a reporter pointed out that the TMC was “a regional party with a national outlook”, Moopanar replied that his party was only a “small regional party” and by winning all the 39 Lok Sabha seats in the State and the lone seat in Pondicherry, “We cannot form a government at the Centre on our own”.

Jain report: On the Jain Commission interim report, when he was asked why he had not come out in support of the DMK when all other constituents of the Front had done so, Moopanar, who pulled out a copy of a business daily (dated November 21) stated that he had reacted on the issue on November 20 itself.

A section of the report, quoting Moopanar, was read out by party MP, Peter Alphonse, which said; “There was nothing new in the so-called revelation. Though the DMK has been known to be sympathetic to the LTTE, one cannot speculate about it being involved in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.” Karunanidhi: Earlier when media persons at the Secretariat asked CM and DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s reaction on the likely continuance of the DMK-TMC alliance, he said: “let us hope for the best”.

"I am not a Congressman anymore"

The TMC chief on Thursday declared to media persons that he was “not a Congressman” any more.

“Today, my party is a different party. But my respect and affections for the Nehru family remains. I do not want to hide this fact. If people want to suspect me about it, I cannot help it. I am ready to bear it,” he broke out emotionally during a media conference in the city.

“We feel hurt that despite the fact that the TMC had stood by the United Front in all its decisions, we are still looked at with suspicion,” he said, adding, “I was trying hard to prevent elections because no one wished it, be it politicians or the general public.”

Though he had made it clear that he was no more a Congressman and had snapped his links with that party, he was still suspected of being one.