The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) will spell out in a week its decision on alliance and also the 11 Lok Sabha seats in the State that it had declared as non-negotiable, party founder-leader S. Ramadoss said here on Monday.
Dr. Ramadoss told The Hindu that the objective of the PMK-led Social Democratic Alliance (SDA) was to keep Dravidian parties away from power.
He termed as baseless reports of differences within the PMK over an electoral pact with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Decisions on alliance and seat-sharing were taken by the party’s high-level committee in a democratic manner.
When asked about the PMK’s reported reservations in aligning with any party that accommodated the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), Mr. Ramadoss said, “There will be an answer to this question in a week”.
On whether the BJP was keen to accommodate the DMDK for its State-wide presence, as the PMK was believed to be strong only in northern and some pockets of western Tamil Nadu, Dr. Ramadoss dubbed them as baseless media theories.
On the objective of forming the SDA, Dr. Ramadoss said successive governments by both the Dravidian parties for the last 47 years had failed on the social, economical, political and cultural front.
The SDA was floated with a view to removing social inequalities.
Refuting charges that the SDA was a consolidation of non-Dalit forces, Dr. Ramadoss said, “We will welcome any Dalit outfit into the fold, provided they are willing to accept the stand of the SDA that there will be no misuse of the Prevention of Atrocities on SC/ST Act against caste Hindus.
