Search the Internet          Tips

Sonia meets party leaders from TN

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Thursday discussed her party's electoral strategy with party leaders from Tamil Nadu, for assembly polls in the state, following the PMK's joining hands with Jayalalitha's AIADMK.

"Yes, I have met party chief Madam Sonia Gandhi and we discussed our party's strategy in the Tamil Nadu assembly polls now that the Patalli Makkal Katchi has left the National Democratic Alliance to join the AIADMK," Tamil Nadu Pradesh Congress Committee chief E V K S Elangovan told rediff.com.

Sonia summoned the Tamil Nadu party leaders for discussions on whether the Congress should join the AIADMK-led alliance in the state.

Elangovan was scheduled to meet his Pondicherry counterpart later in day to fashion the party's Tamil Nadu electoral strategy. The Pondicherry party chief also met Sonia in the context.

Congress General Secretary in-charge of Tamil Nadu Ghulam Nabi Azad also met the party leaders but did not disclose the details to reporters.

"I have met party members from Tamil Nadu and we are finalising our strategy. I will let the media know when it is finalised," Azad told reporters.

The Congress chief's dilemma on her party's Tamil Nadu strategy has been thrown up in bold relief when it transpired that Jayalalitha did not take the Congress into confidence, regarding joining hands with the PMK.

Since the PMK is widely regarded as an 'ultra Tamilian nationalist party' sympathetic to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the Congress leadership appears to be chary of entering the AIADMK fold since the PMK is already in it. The Congress quandary has been aggravated since the party chief is feeling let down that the AIADMK chief did not think it fit to consider her (Sonia) before wooing the PMK.

"We feel that since the Congress and AIADMK have been on good terms, our party leadership should have been consulted (by the AIADMK ) before it joined hands with the PMK. But, our party chief will have the final word in the Tamil Nadu context," Elangovan pointed out.

While AIADMK chief Jayalalitha's apparent reluctance to confide in the Congress regarding her decision to woo the PMK has disappointed Sonia, she is faced with another ticklish problem -- the uncertain stance of the Tamil Maanila Congress towards her party.

The TMC too is reluctant to join hands with the AIADMK since its arch rival in state politics -- the PMK -- has been wooed by Jayalalitha. This is yet another 'headache' for the Congress chief, which is why she summoned the Tamil Nadu party leaders to thrash out the party strategy in the state.

As if this was not enough, TMC leaders differ what stand their party should take during the polls.

Reports have indicated that while TMC chief G K Moopanar will take his party whichever way the Congress went, TMC leader and former Union finance minister P Chidamabaram is against the PMK.

Chidamabaram, it is said, would not mind in joining hands with the M Karunanidhi-led DMK front, and even the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership is understood to have encouraged Chidambaram towards such a scheme.

Significantly, senior BJP vice-president and its principal spokesman K Jana Krishnamurthi told reporters, "We will welcome the TMC if it joins the DMK front."

The BJP feels that the NDA will eventually stand to gain during the Tamil Nadu assembly polls if Chidambaram throws in his lot with the DMK, which is part of the NDA.

A BJP leader said, "We hope the differences will continue among potential allies of the AIADMK so that the benefit will accrue to us (the NDA) in the assembly polls."

Since the Congress Tamil Nadu electoral strategy is yet to fructify, it is still unclear whether the Congress joins hands with Jayalalitha's party or is forced to form a Third Front in the state.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report