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Ball in DMK court: Moopanar

Tamil Maanila Congress president G K Moopanar said today that it was for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to decide whether the two parties's alliance should continue for the general election.

It was DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi who had said his party's executive would review the alliance, Moopanar told the media. "Hence, the ball is in their court," he said..

"We have not broken the alliance," he said, adding that his party could not decide on the issue as it was the minor partner.

Asked about the possibility of his party forging an alliance with the Anna DMK in the wake of AIADMK leader Jayalalitha Jayaram's remark that it would consider such a coalition if the TMC made an offer, Moopanar shot back, "Why was the TMC born?" A reference to his revolt against the Congress leadership's decision to align with the AIADMK. He ruled out any truck with the AIADMK.

Tracing the misunderstandings that had crept in between the DMK and TMC, Moopanar said he was hurt over the manner in which the United Front constituents, including the DMK, viewed his party suspiciously because of his Congress past.

Though he made it clear that he was no more a Congressman and had ended his association with the Congress a year ago after the birth of the TMC, he was still suspect.

After H D Deve Gowda stepped down as prime minister, ''when my name came up for the post, some UF constituents opposed it on the ground that I was a Congressman'', Moopanar said.

Similarly, when the Jain Commission interim report was tabled in Parliament, he was criticised for maintaining a "stoic" silence though he expressed his views on November 20. He had said there was nothing new in the report and just because the DMK was sympathetic towards the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam at one stage, it could not be held responsible for former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination.

"I am no more a Congressman, but my respect and affection for the Nehru family remains. If it leads to some problems, I am ready to bear it," Moopanar said.

Having a dig at the media for speculating that the TMC was left with only two options -- either to align with the DMK or form a third front -- Moopanar said the media had forgotten its third option -- of staying out of the election.

"After all, the TMC is a regional party and even if it wins all the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu, it will not able to form a government at the Centre," he pointed out.

He said he had tried his best to avoid an election, but could not succeed. "I was not scared of facing the election, but the people themselves did not want an election."

Meanwhile, Karunanidhi, when asked about the possibility of the alliance continuing, said, "Only good things will happen."

UNI

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