The Hindu : AIADMK alliance possible: Thirunavukkarasar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 11, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

AIADMK alliance possible: Thirunavukkarasar

TIRUCHI, JAN. 10. There is every possibility of a National Democratic Alliance-All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (NDA-AIADMK) tie-up emerging, the Union Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology, S. Thirunavukkarasar, indicated here today.

Speaking to presspersons, he said it was not only natural for the NDA to have an alliance with parties which accepted the leadership of the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and supported the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Government at the Centre but also a must under the present circumstances.

At a time when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) quit the NDA and almost all parties were concentrating on direct contest across the country, it would be better if the NDA forged an alliance with the AIADMK.

On the exit of the DMK from the NDA, Mr. Thirunavukkarasar said it was neither a setback nor had it weakened the Alliance. The Congress would not enjoy any advantage by forging an alliance with the DMK.

Asked whether the BJP would go it alone if the NDA-AIADMK alliance did not materialise, Mr. Thirunavukkarasar said the BJP would fight the elections alone, if other parties did so. The BJP would be in the fray even if the NDA could not forge an alliance with the AIADMK.

Speaking to presspersons at Karaikudi, Mr. Thirunavukkarasar said the achievements of Government in the last five years and the clean image Mr. Vajpayee and his Cabinet colleagues would help the NDA sweep the poll.

The Prime Minsiter had dispelled the illusion that the Congress alone could provide a stable Government at the Centre. In fact, he proved beyond doubt that a coalition could also give a stable and able Government.

The Congress party was confused. While its spokesperson, Jaipal Reddy, declared in New Delhi that the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, would be the Prime Ministerial candidate, the claim was ``denied'' by the former Union Minister

of Finance, Manmohan Singh, when he visited Chennai to meet the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi on Thursday.

Asked why the Chief Minister, Jayalaithaa, was keeping silent even after the State BJP had invited her to lead the NDA in the State, Mr. Thirunavukkarasar said an alliance could be forged in no time, as did the DMK enter into a tie-up with the BJP and its allies in the last Lok Sabha elections.

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