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Government will survive despite AIADMK's exit, says Hegde

Union Commerce Minister Ramakrishna Hegde today indicated that the Vajpayee government at the Centre would survive even if the All India Anna DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu walked out of the coalition government.

Addressing a press conference in Madras, Hegde said the question of the government's survival (in the event of the AIADMK-led front quitting the government) would depend largely on the behaviour of other parties.

If the Left parties and the Congress, or the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress, could come together, there was no reason why all the coalition partners in the Vajpayee government could not stay together or parties now in the Opposition camp could not support the government.

He declined to elaborate on whether the Vajpayee government had received positive signals of support from other parties which are now outside the coalition.

Hegde said it was important that the country should evolve a proper coalition culture in the national interest.

Earlier in the day, Hegde called on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram home in Madras this morning and was closetted with him for more than 30 minutes.

Describing the Union minister's gesture as a sign of a healthy political trend, Karunanidhi told newsmen that no political significance should be attached to the meeting.

He said Hegde discussed with him projects such as setting up of a cargo complex in the Madras airport to store perishable goods and flowers and similar complexes at Hosur and Pallikaranai.

When his attention was drawn to an earlier statement by Hegde that the two leaders would have resolved the Cauvery water dispute had he (Hegde) continued as chief minister of Karnataka, Karunanidhi said Hegde was now in the Union Cabinet which was in a position to implement the interim award of the Cauvery water dispute tribunal.

UNI

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