DMK, PMK strike deal

Dr Ramadoss said he had preliminary discussions with DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to formalise the electoral tie-up between the two parties.

The overwhelming majority of PMK’s district secretaries favoured an alliance with the DMK and today’s discussions were based on that, he said.

Both the parties would have detailed discussions on seat allotment later.

The decision would be formally ratified by the PMK’s general council and the executive soon, he said.

Karunanidhi said it was a good beginning and a good omen for the victory of the DMK-led front in Tamil Nadu.

Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress (TRC) president Vazhapadi K Ramamurthy was also present during the meeting.

Ramadoss said Karunanidhi and he were “very good friends” but they could not meet “politically” for some time. But now everything had been settled.

Asked whether he still held the opinion expressed earlier that he would continue to maintain a friendly relationship with AIADMK, Ramadoss said, “I want to maintain (sic) friendly relationship with every party. Nobody is my enemy. I want to bring the culture of civilised politics to Tamil Nadu, which exists in north.”

When a report was referred to him that the Congress had told the AIADMK that it would align with it only on the condition that the PMK was not there, Ramadoss replied sarcastically, “(I’m) Very glad.”

Later, Ramamurthy said that this coming together had paved the way for a grand alliance in the State. The “alliance is going to sweep the polls, whether there is a Vajpayee sympathy wave or not”.