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AIADMK-Congress 'alliance on'

Tamil Nadu Congress unit president Tindivanam K Ramamurthy today said the alliance between his party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham in Tamil Nadu for the coming Lok Sabha elections was on as of now.

Answering a volley of questions on the impasse over the talks for forging an alliance between the two parties at a media conference in Madras, he denied that the number of seats offered to the Congress by AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha during the second round of talks with Congress emissaries Manmohan Singh and A K Antony, was the reason.

''If there was any stumbling block, why talk about the third round of talks?'' he asked.

Asked when the third round of talks would be held in view of the announcement of the poll schedule, Ramamurthy said they would be held as per the convenience of the Congress.

On Puthiya Tamizhagam leader K Krishnaswamy's observation that the Congress should lead a front, comprising the Tamil Maanila Congress and PT, he said every party had the right to express its views on the alliance issue.

Jayalalitha had categorically stated that the AIADMK would not not be part of any alliance in which the Puthiya Tamizahgam was a constituent, in the wake of the latter's announcement that the Congress should lead the front and that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi should be projected as the prime ministerial candidate.

Ramamurthy, however, parried a question on Dr Krishnaswamy's claim that Jayalalitha was in touch with Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar.

UNI

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