CHENNAI, NOV 1: TNCC president Tindivanam K Ramamurthy today said he expected the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) to shed its reservations against the AIADMK, as the political situation had changed considerably since 1996, when the TMC took on an anti-AIADMK stand.Participating in a programme organised by the Chennai Reporters Guild here, he renewed his party's appeal to TMC president G K Moopanar to return to the Congress fold, but disagreed with the view that the AIADMK had ``wrested the initiative'' to rope in the TMC from the Congress.The Congress high command as well as the State unit had been consistent in seeking the TMC's return, Ramamurthy said, adding that AIADMK general secretary Jayalalitha's recent meeting with Moopanar was part of a ``continuing process''.Ramamurthy, who recently met Moopanar and had a ``frank discussion'', said the TMC leader's response was ``positive'' and did not think the ``reason for the TMC's birth (opposition to any truck with the AIADMK)'' subsisted any more as the political situation had changed for the country, State and the parties.Asked whether the Congress would expect Moopanar to merge his party with the Congress, he said: ``I have never made any conditions for Moopanar to join the Congress, but only said he should come back as he is a Congressmen at heart.''However, he declined to say whether the Congress wanted an alliance with the TMC or an outright merger, as only the high command could decide the question.Asked if the call to the TMC was being given because the Congress fared poorly in the Lok Sabha polls, Ramamurthy said this was an ``unfair'' way of looking at his party. Despite various problems, TNCC candidates had polled good number of votes and the margin by which they lost was narrow.``If some persons said the Congress show was bad, it is propaganda unleashed by vested interests,'' he said.Ramamurthy said TMC was an ``integral'' party of the Congress and Moopanar was seen by people as a Congressman. The feelings and attachment that those who left Congress for the party could not be changed, he said.Ramamurthy pointed out that despite the fact that Vazhapadi K Ramamurthy was part of a separate party, the Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress (TMC), he had still acted like a Congressman when the late Rajiv Gandhi's name was included in the CBI chargesheet in the Bofors case.
