Shutting the door on the ruling All India NR Congress (AINRC), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Puducherry unit secretary P. Purushothaman on Sunday categorically ruled out the possibility of revival of alliance between the AIADMK and AINRC in the Union Territory.
According to leaders of both parties, at the time of announcement of elections, a revival of ties between the two sworn rivals to jointly face the Assembly elections in the Union Territory was on the cards. However, contrary to the expectation, the AIADMK last week declared candidates for all 30 constituencies and commenced campaign.
Even then, a section of media kept hinting that things could change even after the announcement of candidates citing the precedent in the 2011 Assembly polls. It is in these circumstances that Mr. Purushothaman ruled out any truck with the AINRC.
Addressing a workers’ meeting in Ariyankuppam, Mr. Purushothaman categorically stated, “There will be no alliance with AINRC….the AIADMK will contest alone in the forthcoming Assembly polls.”
He pointed out that in the run-up to 2011 Assembly polls, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa had declared AINRC president N. Rangasamy as Chief Ministerial candidate.
“Only because of such a declaration by our leader that Mr. Rangasamy was able to become Chief Minister. But later Mr. Rangasamy betrayed the AIADMK and the people. During his regime, people had experienced many hardships,” Mr. Purushothaman said.
“So there will be no alliance with AINRC in any time. However, some in AINRC have been spreading rumours to the contrary and that should not be taken seriously by anybody. With blessing of our general secretary, we will contest alone in the election and capture power,” the AIADMK leader said.
The last time the two parties came together was in the 2011 Assembly polls though the relationship ended in acrimony.
After the AINRC-AIADMK alliance won in the 2011 Assembly polls, Mr. Rangasamy went back on his promise of sharing power with the AIADMK and formed the government on his own by securing the support of an independent.
Since, then the AIADMK leaders have been the most trenchant critics of the government.
However, during the Rajya Sabha elections, the two parties came together again when a crisis to the government by a group of dissident MLAs prompted the AINRC to put behind the rivalry with the AIADMK.
As a result, the AINRC fielded its nominee N. Gokulakrishnan as an AIADMK candidate and the government survived the crisis.
Some in AINRC have been spreading rumours to the contrary, the AIADMK alleges
