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Puthiya Tamizhagam releases independent list in TN

The Puthiya Tamizhagam president and Dalit leader, Dr K Krishnasamy, today unilaterally released the party's first list of six candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, signalling the break-up of his ties with the third front led by the Tamil Maanila Congress.

Dr Krishnasamy released the list at a hurriedly convened press conference in Madras, even as front leader and TMC president G K Moopanar was yet to announce the seat-sharing agreements with the PT and other allies.

Claiming that he was solely responsible for the formation of the third front in the state, Dr Krishnasamy said he was forced to announce the list as he was not happy with the manner in which Moopanar had announced TMC's first list yesterday, without taking the PT into confidence.

While the PT chief himself has decided to contest his favourite Tenkasi (SC) seat, maverick Tamil film actor Mansoor Ali Khan has been fielded from Ramanathapuram and former Congress-I leader Kuralarasu Jayabharathi from Pudukottai. The others in the list are P V Bhakthavatchalam (Tirunelveli), M M K Ibrahim (Periakulam) and Jothiraj (Pollachi).

The TMC is reportedly unwilling to give away the Tirunelveli and Ramanathapuram seats, but Dr Krishnasamy asserted that there could be no compromise on the six seats announced by him today.

Admitting that there were some disputes in identifying four more constituencies for the party, he said he would release the second list of four candidates on August 15 and hoped that the problem would be solved by then.

Negotiations were on to avoid a showdown between the two parties, he said, while parrying a question on whether his party would go it alone in the coming elections if no agreement was reached.

Asked whether he had released the first list with the approval of Moopanar, a visibly annoyed Dr Krishnasamy shot back: "Did you ask a similar question when Moopanar announced his list yesterday?"

Stating that Moopanar was not the leader of the third front, he said it was made clear when the front was constituted that it would be called 'TMC-PT Front'.

Launching a tirade against the TMC, he said it had exhibited its "political indecency" by releasing its first list even as negotiations were on to iron out differences among the allies on seat sharing.

The PT leader wondered why Moopanar had been reluctant to announce that ten seats had been allotted to his party, even after an agreement to this effect had been reached.

UNI

EARLIER REPORT:
Dalit stir may divide TN votes

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