Top

PMK to rethink on NDA alliance

Party’s state council meet will deliberate on 2016 Assembly elections

Chennai: Indicating a rift in the National Democratic Alliance in the state, PMK founder Dr S. Ramadoss on Tuesday said that his party’s general council would decide on the question of continuing in the alliance for the 2016 state assembly polls.

“Our party’s general council will decide on whether to continue in the BJP led alliance for the 2016 assembly polls or not,” he said. Dr Ramadoss’ assertion came in the wake of the party differing with the BJP on various issues including invitation to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for PM Modi’s swearing in ceremony, usage of Hindi in social media and Sanskrit Week celebration in CBSE schools.

When asked if his party continued to be part of BJP-led alliance, he bluntly asked the saffron party to clarify. The PMK leader’s son, former Union minister Anbumani Ramadoss, also echoed similar views in Sivakasi. “It is the BJP which has to say if the alliance still exists in the state,” Dr Anbumani said. Interestingly, it was Dr Anbumani who convinced his father Dr Ramadoss for an electoral tie up with the NDA in the Lok Sabha polls.

A senior PMK leader said that there was a view against continuing in the NDA following denial of cabinet berth to Dr Anbumani who was one of the two MPs to be elected from the state as part of the alliance. “We campaigned in Dharmapuri stating that Dr Anbumani will be a Union minister in Modi’s cabinet,” he pointed out.

A PMK district secretary said Dr Anbumani would be projected as the party’s CM candidate in the ensuing assembly polls. In the recent meeting of its state level office-bearers and district secretaries held at Thailapuram, there was unanimous view in favour of Dr Anbumani being named as party CM candidate, the leader said, adding that a formal decision to this effect would be taken at the party’s general council meeting to be held shortly.

While addressing party’s South Chennai general council meeting on Tuesday, Dr Ramadoss said that PMK has a good opportunity to emerge as an alternative to AIADMK and DMK in the state. He said no other parties including DMDK, MDMK and BJP had the capacity to emerge as an alternative. “We should not miss this opportunity” he said and urged the party cadres to strive hard to capture power in state in 2016 polls.

( Source : dc correspondent )
Next Story