 Online edition of India's National Newspaper Thursday, Jun 19, 2008 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version |
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Tamil Nadu
CHENNAI: The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) is not likely to take any decision now on alliance. Indicating this, S. Ramadoss, founder, told The Hindu over phone from Thailapuram Gardens on Wednesday that the question of alliance would be decided during the Lok Sabha elections. “Anyway, the polls are going to be held several months later. Maybe, three months before the polls, we will convene the general council and decide on the question,” he said, in response to a query. [The party’s general council is to meet at Kamaraj Arangam here on Friday morning following the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s move to terminate ties.] Likening his party’s role with that of the Left at the national level, Dr. Ramadoss said though the Communist parties were extending support to the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre, they had been criticising several schemes and policies of the Union Government. “We are playing a similar role,” he said. He reiterated that his party would pursue people’s issues and problems with more fervour. Explaining his party’s articulation on several issues, he said it could not be done through telephonic talks. The party had to spell out its views in an elaborate manner. This was why it explained them in public forums. Asked for his reaction to DMK president and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s statement that he would not insist on expelling the PMK from the UPA in contrast to its stand vis-À-vis the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Dr. Ramadoss replied that unlike in the case of the MDMK, the PMK was sharing power in government. Besides, the MDMK went over to the rival camp. The PMK was part of the front in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections and Assembly and local bodies’ polls in May and October 2006. In February 2001, the PMK made a dramatic exit from the National Democratic Alliance, then headed by the DMK in Tamil Nadu. In the Assembly elections then, it was part of the alliance led by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, winning 20 seats out of 27 seats it contested. Three years later, the party, which was, by then, back in the DMK fold, contested in six Lok Sabha constituencies, including Puducherry, and won all. In the 2006 Assembly elections, the PMK bagged 18 out of the 31 seats, which were allotted under the seat-sharing formula. After the DMK returned to power in May 2006, the PMK has been expressing its views strongly on a variety of issues, including the satellite township project, Mullaperiyar-Cauvery-Palar river water disputes, entry of big players in retail trade, sand quarrying and prohibition. Even as the PMK continued to criticise the DMK government, Dr Ramadoss kept maintaining that his party would be part of the Democratic Progressive Alliance for the Lok Sabha polls. He has also been saying his party would float a separate front during the next Assembly polls, due in May 2011.
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