DMK rules out BJP links, ADMK remains unclear

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu main opposition DMK, which is seen poised tosweeptheupcomingloksabhapolls in alliance with the Congress, said on Saturday it is not at all interested in aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

DMK president MK Stalin made the assertion in response to a statement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday that the BJP’S doors were always open for alliance partners.

In an interaction with party boothlevel workers from ive districts in Tamil Nadu through video conferencing, Modi had recalled the “successful coalition politics” ushered in by former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in the 1990s and said the BJP’S doors were “always open.” Stalin said: “The DMK will never align with BJP... Prime Minister Modi is not Vajpayee. An alliance under him is not a healthy alliance. It is an irony that Modi compares himself with Vajpayee.”

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, leader of the ruling Anna DMK, said his party would support only those who do good to the people of Tamil Nadu. “We will not accept those who betray Tamil Nadu. We will continue to march on the path shown by late leaders MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa,” he said.

Theadmkunderformerchiefminister Jayalalithaa had joined hands with the BJP to face the 2004 Lok Sabha polls but the alliance could not win even a single seat while the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Dmk)-congress combine swept the polls.

Palaniswami also took a dig at the DMK for “dynastic politics.” He said DMK chief MK Stalin succeeded his father and former party president M. Karunanidhi and he will be succeeded by his son Udhayanidhi.

Palaniswami, meanwhile, rejected allegations made against him by those accusedinthekodanadestatebreak-incase.

“The police will probe the matter,” he said.

Tehelka ex-editor Samuel Mathew released a video in Delhi on Friday, in which the accused allegedly linked Palaniswami to the break-in.

Palaniswami denied his involvement and said that a police case had been iled in the matter and that “strong action” will be taken against those who released the video.

“Yesterday (Friday), former Tehelka editor Samuel Mathews had released a video which links me to an incident (breakin) that happened in Amma’s Kodanad estate on April 24, 2017. This (charge) is completely contrary to facts and there is no iota of truth in it,” he said.