AIADMK, TMC reach alliance

By Suresh Nambath and

Radha Venkatesan

CHENNAI, MARCH 9. At the end of a suspense-filled day of hard bargaining, the TMC president, Mr. G.K. Moopanar, met the AIADMK general secretary, Ms. Jayalalitha, and concluded an electoral alliance but left actual seat-sharing to be worked out later.

After the meeting, the two leaders refrained from making any announcement. While Mr. Moopanar promised to reveal details of the alliance talks tomorrow, Ms. Jayalalitha only said: ``I have nothing to say today.''

The TMC official spokesman, Mr. B.S. Gnanadesikan, declared: ``The TMC and the Congress have entered into an electoral alliance with the AIADMK. The details of the seat- sharing will be disclosed tomorrow.''

Though talks between the TMC-Congress combine and the AIADMK showed considerable progress, Mr. Moopanar was not able, as yet, to convince the Congress about the seats on offer and the proposal for delinking Pondicherry from Tamil Nadu in any seat- sharing arrangement.

According to sources, the AIADMK raised the offer from 45 to 47 seats for the TMC-Congress combine. However, the Congress is insisting on at least 15 seats for itself, besides the Tiruchi Lok Sabha constituency where a by-election is due. Mr. Moopanar, therefore, tried to push the AIADMK into conceding at least 50 seats.

TNCC chief unaware

However, the TNCC president, Mr. E.V.K.S. Elangovan, indicating displeasure at the turn of events, said he was ``not aware'' of any alliance. Similarly, the Pondicherry PCC president, Mr. V. Narayanasamy, said the Congress high command was still considering the delinking proposal.

The pace of the day's developments was set by the AIADMK emissaries, the journalist, Mr. Cho Ramasamy, and the Dravidar Kazhagam general secretary, Mr. K. Veeramani, who had separate meetings with Mr. Moopanar. Only after a two-hour discussion with Mr. Veeramani did Mr. Moopanar decide to call on Ms. Jayalalitha.

Though a TMC delegation was expected to meet Ms. Jayalalitha at least twice in the course of the day, the absence of a nod from the Congress high command delayed a Moopanar- Jayalalitha meeting till late in the evening.

As Ms. Jayalalitha was insistent on concluding the alliance today itself, the TMC and the Congress spent the whole day grappling with various aspects, including the seats on offer and the role of the PMK in Pondicherry.

Initial hiccups in the talks arose on account of the dissatisfaction of the Congress with the ``single-digit number'' of seats. Although the standing offer of the AIADMK was 45 for the TMC-Congress combine, the TMC wanted to keep for itself 37 seats, its strength in the current Assembly.

Mr. Moopanar tried to allay the apprehensions of the Congress on the possible role of the PMK in the post-election scenario if a Congress-TMC front fell just short of majority. Mr. Moopanar asked the Congress not to exercise itself over the issue as post- election problems did not have to be solved now.

Earlier in the day, the TMC election committee gave Mr. Moopanar its ``unanimous view'' on the alliance strategy, and authorised him to take an appropriate decision.

The procrastination on the part of the TMC and the Congress also delayed the seat-sharing talks with the Left parties. Both the CPI and the CPI(M), like the Congress, would not settle for a ``single-digit number'' of seats.

A joint delegation of the CPI(M) leader, Mr. K. Varadarajan, and the CPI State secretary, Mr. R. Nallakannu, held a round of discussions with Ms. Jayalalitha in the afternoon. However, not much progress could be made in this round as Ms. Jayalalitha was awaiting word from the TMC. A TMC delegation, expected around the same time, did not turn up.

In the evening, the Left parties were told that they were to come for talks in case the TMC agreed to the alliance. But, as the TMC continued to weigh all aspects of the AIADMK offer. Mr. Veeramani, in the end, convinced Mr. Moopanar.

After the TMC expressed its readiness for the alliance, Ms. Jayalalitha invited both Mr. Moopanar and leaders of the Left parties for direct talks to conclude the seat-sharing arrangement.

Meanwhile, the Janata Dal(S) State president, Mr. G.A. Vadivelu, said the party had asked for six seats, but had been offered one by the AIADMK.

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