AIADMK’s alliance is one of opportunism: Alagiri

TNCC chief hits back at Minister Jayakumar over his comments

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri on Tuesday said the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance was based on principles and not of “opportunistic politics” like the AIADMK-BJP front.

Responding to Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar’s claim that many parties [the DMK’s allies] were keen on joining the AIADMK front, and that the DMK was like an automobile that had suffered a breakdown, Mr. Alagiri said the Minister must stop engaging in “politics of comedy”, and the AIADMK had a lot of issues to resolve within its alliance.

‘Alliance strong’

Contrary to what the Minister claimed, the DMK alliance was quite strong, Mr. Alagiri said. “The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance has been working in a united way and with discipline for the welfare of the people. The leader of the alliance, M.K. Stalin, is leading the front capably and always discusses issues with the alliance partners,” he added.

“Is the BJP a part of the AIADMK alliance or not? That itself is a big confusion [for them]. Only the BJP’s T.N. president, L. Murugan, greeted Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on being chosen as the CM candidate for the upcoming election. No other party in their alliance has done this. Have they deliberated on this issue?” he asked.

He wondered whether the BJP had been kept in the loop about the AIADMK choosing Mr. Palaniswami as the CM candidate. He said there could be no bigger insult for the BJP than being in the AIADMK alliance without even the slightest amount of respect.

“Can Mr. Jayakumar disclose which parties are there in the AIADMK alliance? The AIADMK is worried that if it includes the BJP in its alliance, it will face a humiliating defeat in the Assembly polls, similar to the one it suffered in the Lok Sabha election,” he said.