Cong not ready for alliance in TN

Barely two days after the declaration made by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi that the party is open to alliances, TNCC president S. Balakrishna...

Barely two days after the declaration made by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi that the party is open to alliances, TNCC president S. Balakrishnan has shut the door on the DMK or AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. Balakrishnan said DMK is already with NDA and the AIADMK is getting closer to BJP and trying to enter NDA. ‘‘Jayalalithaa is unpopular, therefore we cannot talk to her. It’s only today that she has reshuffled so many ministers.’’

The TNCC president said the CPI, CPM and Congress will be aligning with it. On June 5, the party will organise a rally in Chennai with the Left.

Paswan tells TN allies
to leave NDA camp

CHENNAI: Charging BJP with forcing its communal agenda on the Centre, Lok Janashakti Party chief and former minister Ram Vilas Paswan has urged NDA allies in Tamil Nadu — DMK, MDMK and PMK — to get out of the alliance without any delay. ‘‘It is better to come out now than at the time of elections. If they come out during LS elections, it would benefit the BJP,’’ he said on Wednesday. (ENS)

Party chief Sonia Gandhi had left it to PCC chiefs and CMs to decide alliances with regional parties in their states. The high command felt that since the Congress is weak in Bihar, UP, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu which account for 200 seats, it would be better if it enters into alliances with regional parties. In Bihar, the Congress is likely to enter into alliance with RJD, in UP it is likely to join the SP and RLD and in Bengal it would try to woo Trinamool splinter groups.

It is only in Tamil Nadu that the party finds itself in a bind on who to align with. Both Dravidian parties prefer BJP. CWC member Ghulam Nabi Azad said that while the decision of having alliance is new for the party, the Congress does have alliances in J-K, Maharashtra, Bihar and Meghalaya.