The Hindu : Front Page : Jayalalithaa open to alliance with Left, PMK

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Thursday, Aug 14, 2008
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Jayalalithaa open to alliance with Left, PMK

Special Correspondent

“In democracy, anyone can aspire to become Prime Minister”

Jayalalithaa

CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa on Wednesday said she was open to an alliance with the Left parties and the PMK.

“Why not,” she said when asked whether she was ready to consider an alliance with the Left parties that had withdrawn support to the Centre and the PMK that was expelled from the DMK alliance in Tamil Nadu.

Stating that the AIADMK was not part of any front now, she said alliances were forged just before elections and there was still a lot of time. “When the time comes we will have talks with the friendly parties, like-minded parties. If other parties approach us, we will definitely have talks with them. I am open to alliance,” she said.

Asked about Mayawati being projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate, she said in democracy anyone could aspire to become a Prime Minister. “That is the beauty of our democracy,” she said.

“When the proposal is put to me I will give my answer then,” she said to the question on her opinion on Mayawati’s candidature.

To a question which platform would be ideologically compatible for the AIADMK -- the BJP or the Left -- she said electoral alliances were not forged with such considerations in mind. “When the time comes we will do what is in the best interest of the party,” she said.

Recalling the AIADMK’s participation in the condolence meeting for Communist veteran Harkishan Singh Surjeet organised by the CPI(M), she said CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat wrote to her thanking her for sending her party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Malaisamy to the meeting.

She said the Left parties’ opposition to the POTA would not come in the way of the AIADMK joining hands with the communists. “If the Left and the Congress could work together anyone could work with the Left. We also can work with the Left,” she quipped.

Asked whether she could have an alliance with the political parties launched by actors Vijayakant, Sarathkumar and Karthik, she said: “Let them come to me first.”

She rejected the suggestion that she was away in Kodanad during the political developments in Tamil Nadu and New Delhi, saying that she was in Tamil Nadu only and she had been issuing statements and filing cases that led her enemies to bite the dust. “One can do politics from anywhere in the country,” she said.

Asked about her ambition when it comes to national politics, she said, “I don’t have any personal ambitions as such.”

Alleging that the law and order situation had become worse and the economy was in bad shape she said, “I want to see that the State politics is cleaned up.”

On the Hogenakkal drinking water project, she said Tamil Nadu need not accept Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s proposal for a resurvey of the area since a survey had already been done when the States were reorganised on linguistic basis.

Asked whether the DMK government would complete its term, she said she did not like to indulge in any speculation at the moment. But in politics, particularly in Indian politics, anything was possible, she said.

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