CHENNAI: Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S. Ramadoss on Saturday described the Congress as his party's "natural ally." He said the PMK would not have any truck with the Bharatiya Janata Party in future.

At a press conference here, he said the PMK was not comfortable in the previous BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Government due to ideological differences. The PMK had brought to the notice of NDA convenor George Fernandes the party's differences with the NDA Government on the Gujarat riots and the disinvestment issue. "We do not have such problems in the United Progressive Alliance Government now. We are happy here."

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been taking serious efforts to lead the country on the path of progress, Dr. Ramadoss said. "This is evident from the way Dr. Singh has been evaluating the performance of the Union Ministers frequently and thoroughly."

On BJP president L.K. Advani's remark that the Prime Minister should not rely on the Communists, he said the Left, particularly the two Communist Parties, stood by their ideological commitment and had only been demanding that the UPA Government implement the common minimum programme.

A gift to people

He described the UPA Government's decision to implement the Sethusamudram project as a "gift" to the people of the State on the occasion of completion of its first year in power.

Referring to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's announcement on providing free textbooks for school students from Standard I to Standard XII at a cost of Rs. 83.70 crores, he said even while showing this gesture to the students the Government was spoiling their parents through its `record sale' of Indian Made Foreign Liquor.

Dr. Ramadoss accused the ruling All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam of violating the Election Commission's model code of conduct in the May 14 byelections to the Kancheepuram and Gummidipoondi Assembly seats.

The EC had not taken note of these violations, he said. Going by the State's poll records, though the ruling party won the byelections, it would not emerge successful in the Assembly elections scheduled for next year, he said.

Calling for reforms in the selection of candidates for higher education, he said the students should be inducted on the basis of marks obtained in the public examination as the system of holding entrance tests had affected the prospects of the poor and middle classes.

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