DMK, Cong. join hands for TN assembly polls

Earlier in the day, senior Congress leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad met DMK chief, M Karunanidhi at his residence to rekindle the lost alliance.

The president of Congress’s Tamil Nadu unit E.V.K.S. Elangovan and the party’s in-charge for the state Mukul Wasnik accompanied Azad.

The leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha heaped praises on Karunanidhi and DMK, calling him an “esteemed leader” and describing the the party as “most dependable”.

This time around the talks between the two parties were cordial as against the mood when Congress negotiated for 63 seats during the 2011 assembly elections.

After a gap of three years, the Congress and the DMK today entered into a pre poll alliance for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections.

He said the number of seats that Congress would contest would be decided later.

DMK leaders Stalin also confirmed the news, although he added that they were yet to finalise the distribution of seats.

Mr Azad said that the responsibility of roping in more constituents lied with the DMK and the elections would be contested under DMK’s banner.

“Best of luck! I don’t think it would have any impact on Tamil Nadu’s politics”.

In March 2013 DMK had pulled out their support to Congress after Manmohan Singh government’s stand on the Sri Lanka human rights issue at the Geneva, UNHRC.

Congress is out of power in Tamil Nadu for almost five decades and has generally been aligning with either of the Dravidian party – DMK or AIADMK.

In 2004 DMK-Congress alliance won 39 out of 39 Lok Sabha seats and two years later they also formed the government in state.