Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan’s indirect overtures to the Congress, looking to forge a poll alliance sans the DMK, have failed to cut ice with the Congress party in Tamil Nadu and other friends of the DMK.
“It is well and good that he is in favour of an alliance with the Congress. But a condition from any new political party that we should leave the DMK first is unacceptable as we are part of the DMK alliance,” said Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president Su. Thirunavukkarasar.
Mr. Haasan, while participating in an interactive session organised by a private satellite channel, openly expressed his desire to emerge as an alternative to the DMK and the AIADMK.
He said he was not averse to the idea of joining hands with the Congress, but rejected the possibility of working together with the DMK in the State.
Again on Saturday, during a chat with the media, Mr. Haasan recalled his meeting with Congress president Rahul Gandhi four months ago, but refused to say anything on a possible alliance.
Mr. Thirunavukkarasar said the actor’s prediction that the Congress-DMK alliance would break will never become a reality. “We cannot afford to fritter away our secular front,” he said.
CPI(M) State secretary K. Balakrishnan said the goal of his party was to maximise the anti-BJP votes in the State, and ruled out the possibility of forming a separate front for the Lok Sabha polls. “A third front will certainly come in the way of mobilising people and their votes against the BJP rule at the Centre,” he said, and stressed the need for the DMK and its friendly parties to step up their political activities to highlight various issues affecting the people.
“We will soon meet the DMK leaders in connection with starting an active campaign,” he said.
Pan-India pact ruled out
Though Mr. Balakrishnan expressed the Left parties’ desire to work with the DMK and the Congress in Tamil Nadu, he explained that a uniform alliance at the national level was not possible. “An alliance will be formed depending on the ground realities of every State,” he said.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol. Thirumavalavan said it could be Mr. Haasan’s desire that the Congress should leave the company of the DMK.
“There are a lot of forces that do not want the Congress to continue [being] in the alliance of the DMK, and they are trying to create an impression that the two parties will not stay together for the Lok Sabha polls. Whatever might be the case, the VCK will always be with the DMK,” he said.
Mr. Thirumavalavan said his party’s commitment to the DMK’s alliance was demonstrated by the fact that he invited DMK president M.K. Stalin first for the ‘Save Nation’ conference to be held in Tiruchi on December 10.
“I have also invited Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary Sudhakar Reddy,” he said.
DMK gears up for poll
In the meantime, the DMK has released a list of senior leaders who will be in charge of election work in all the 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.