The Congress appears keen on a truce with the DMK though the latter has taken a hard stance against the national party after TNCC president K.S. Alagiri and Congress Legislature Party leader K.R. Ramasamy publicly accused the Dravidian party of not adhering to “coalition dharma” in the recent rural local body polls.
DMK treasurer Duraimurugan had on Wednesday matter of fact said that the Congress could leave the alliance it desired to.
However efforts are under way to assuage the senior ally. On Pongal day, former TNCC president K V Thangkabalu met DMK president Mr Stalin to greet him as well as discuss the current strains in the relationship between the two parties. “The alliance is very firm and it will continue. The alliance was built by Sonia Gandhi and Karunanidhi. Rahul Gandhi and Stalin have made it more comfortable and strong,” he insisted.
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He said the leadership of both parties was very clear that the alliance should continue. “The Congress is endeavoring to consolidate nationalist and secular forces. Mr Stalin is the leader of the secular alliance in Tamil Nadu. There might be issues here and there, but all these can be sorted out if we sit and talk within four walls,” Mr. Thangkabalu told
Another former TNCC president Su. Thirunavukkarasar too echoed his views. “The alliance had 100% success in the Parliament elections. Local body polls involve thousands of seats. Things like this will happen. This should not end the alliance,” he said.
Mr. Thirunavukkarasar said some leaders in the DMK were giving counter-statements to the letter issued by the Congress leaders to save the party’s image. “But, it is important to continue the alliance in the interest of both the parties. This tussle should stop now and we have to proceed to prepare for the [2021] Assembly elections. Forget the past, sit and talk,” he said adding that individually he preferred that a team be formed at the Central level and hold seat sharing discussions with the DMK.
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Kanniyakumari MP Vasantha Kumar said Mr. Stalin was the leader of the alliance and the Congress would go by what he wanted. “He has not said anything. Does Mr. Duraimurugan have more powers than Mr. Stalin? Does he have the rights to decide on issues? If Mr. Stalin says we should leave, then we will decide what to do,” he said.
However, Congress MP from Virudhunagar, Manickam Tagore said some in the DMK were acting in a manner to prevent Mr Stalin from becoming the Chief Minister. Targetting Mr. Duraimurugan, he said no one needs to teach the Congress about coalition unity.
Sources in the Congress also said that contrary to claims made by some DMK leaders that Mr. Alagiri had written an apology letter to Mr. Stalin, no such letter had been given. Some leaders felt Mr. Alagiri was well within his rights to raise the issue of seat sharing in the rural local bodies keeping in mind the Congress cadres’ wishes. “Ultimately, as president of the State unit, he has to keep the interests of the party’s cadres as well. Where’s the question of issuing an apology letter,” a senior leader asked.