Senior DMK leader asks party chief stalin to off-board Cong for TN civic polls

Tiruchirappalli: A senior DMK leader on Saturday asked party chief MK Stalin not to take on board key ally Congress for the local body polls, expected to be held shortly and instead go it alone.

KN Nehru, a former State Minister and DMK’s secretary, addressing a protest demonstration here, said tall claims were being made by Congress leaders on getting maximum number of seats from DMK for the local body polls.

“Where will we go? Should we stand on the road?”he asked. Hence “I am telling our president; to be of proper use to the people, it will be better for us to face the local body elections alone.”

The Tiruchirapalli district party stalwart asked how long could the party be “palanquin bearers”..”we are carrying them (Congress) on our shoulders.”

He, however, made it clear that this was his own view and not that of the party and added that he would abide by any decision of the DMK chief.

In the same breath, he said if the party’s top brass wanted them to continue to prop up Congress, they would do so.

Delving into the Congress-DMK ties in the past, Nehru recalled that some from the national party used to criticise them and the party-led government even when they were allies.

Considering “coalition dharma,” the party worked for A Chellakumar and made him win from Krishnagiri Lok Sabha seat though he had spoken against the party in the Assembly in the past, he said.

Later, Nehru told reporters that he had only expressed his thoughts after seeing news reports of Congress functionaries demanding more number of seats.

Apparently disapproving of such demands, he said such assertions one after other by leaders may strain ties between the two parties.

Asked if his remark was a tactic to contest in more number of seats, he said: “for sure we will fight in more number of seats in the local body elections.”

“Rather than them (Congress) contesting more number of seats, it will be good if we fight more,” he said.

If this remark meant Congress would not be taken along for the local polls, he said he was “only a district secretary in-charge of five Assembly constituencies. Can I take such decisions? This can only be decided by party chief (Stalin).”

Senior State Congress leaders, when contacted, declined to comment, stating they would need time to look into the comments and its background.

The Dravidian party joined hands with the Congress for the 2016 Assembly elections again after snapping ties with it in 2013 over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.