Congress reiterates DMK as its sole alliance partner in Tamil Nadu.
Girish Chodankar dismisses speculation of a tie-up with Vijay-led TVK.
Seat-sharing decision with DMK expected to be finalised soon.
Tamil Nadu Elections: Congress Rejects TVK Alliance, Stands Firm With DMK
Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Congress leader Girish Chodankar rules out alliance with Vijay’s TVK and reaffirms the party’s long-standing partnership with the DMK
Summary
The Congress on Saturday reaffirmed its commitment to the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu, firmly ruling out any possibility of a tie-up with actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) ahead of this year’s Assembly elections.
According to PTI, Congress party’s Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar said the DMK remained a “trusted” and long-standing ally, dismissing speculation about alternative political arrangements. Speaking to reporters, with Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai and senior party leaders by his side, Chodankar made it clear that the Congress was focused solely on continuing its partnership with the ruling Dravidian party.
When asked about the scope for an alliance with TVK, Chodankar responded sharply, asking whether “anybody has told you that the Congress party is not going to have an alliance with the DMK.” PTI reported that he referred to his meeting with Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin around a month ago, expressing confidence that the DMK leadership would soon take firm decisions on election-related issues, including seat-sharing.
Reported PTI, Chodankar said a committee had already been constituted about a month and a half ago to conduct seat-sharing negotiations with the DMK, underscoring the Congress party’s interest in remaining part of the DMK-led alliance. “The Congress party has a long-standing relationship with the DMK, it is a trusted ally,” he said, adding that matters related to the elections, including seat allocation, would be finalised shortly.
Chodankar declined to comment on questions surrounding Congress office-bearer Praveen Chakravarthy’s recent meeting with TVK chief Vijay, as well as media claims that the Congress had sought 38 Assembly seats and three Cabinet berths in the event of an alliance victory. PTI reported that he maintained the number of seats the Congress would contest would be announced “shortly”.
On being asked about alleged demands for “power sharing”, Chodankar remarked that no political party would disavow a role in governance. “Will say that they don’t want the power?” he asked, adding, “Then we should name ourselves as NGO.”
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(With inputs from PTI)
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