TMC-Cong talks reach decisive stage

The TMC leader, who was accompanied by former Union ministers S R Balasubramaniam and Jayanthi Natarajan, had extensive discussions in the last two days with Sonia, CPM general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet and CPI leader A B Bardhan.

The TMC leaders were understood to have discussed with the Congress and the Left parties all the permutations andcombinations in Tamil Nadu, including a front led by the Congress in which the TMC, CPI, CPM would be the leading allies. The AICC high command in particular was apprised of the emerging equations which will find electoral acceptability even if the AIADMK will be out of the reckoning.

Contrary to the impression that the TMC would wait until Sonia8217;s emissaries Manmohan Singh and A K Antony meet with AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha again to resume their dialogue, the broad contours of TMC8217;s electoral strategy, it is learnt, would be known soon.

Moopanar and other TMC leaders, including former Union finance minister P Chidambaram, went to New Delhi after arriving at a broad consensus on the stance the party would adopt at the hustings. The overwhelming opinion of the party leaders and functionaries seemed to be against joining hands with the AIADMK under any circumstance directly or indirectly.