Chennai, Feb 4 – Seeking to capitalise on the large number of non-Congress and non-BJP parties having “substantial support and strength in the country,” AIADMK and CPI(M) on Monday entered into an alliance in Tamil Nadu for Lok Sabha polls.
“I am happy to announce that the AIADMK and the CPI(M) have decided to enter into an alliance to face the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections together. And we expect that this alliance would be very successful,” AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa announced here in the presence of CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat.
The CPI(M) general secretary said the two parties were confident that their alliance would be successful in Tamil Nadu and also “contribute to providing an alternative in the country.”
“I think it is clear that there are large number of parties — non-Congress, non-BJP parties, which have substantial support and strength in this country. This will be reflected in the coming elections,” Karat said.
To a query as to who would be their prime ministerial candidate, Jayalalithaa and Karat said it was pointless for any party to enter into such discussions now as the question would arise only after the election results were out.
AIADMK had on Sunday announced its alliance with CPI for the Lok Sabha polls.
Left parties in Tamil Nadu have remained with the AIADMK since the 2011 Assembly polls, while Manidhaneya Makkal Katchi and Puthiya Thamizhagam have left the alliance and joined hands with the DMK. .
Left parties’ ties with AIADMK grew stronger after Jayalalithaa supported two Left candidates in the Rajya Sabha polls leading to their victory.
As for other parties, BJP has already inked alliance with MDMK and is attempting to rope in PMK and actor-politician Vijayakanth’s DMDK.
DMK, which faced the 2009 Lok Sabha polls with Congress, left the alliance over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue early last year and is now trying to have truck with DMDK.
DMDK, which was a major ally of AIADMK in 2011 Assembly polls, parted ways later. The party has not made any announcement on alliance so far.
VCK quit UPA along with DMK over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and has remained with that party.
Congress is yet to clinch a deal with any party in the state so far.
-India Today
