CHENNAI: Dismissing speculation about alternative alliance possibilities, including with Vijay-led TVK, All India Congress Committee in-charge for Tamil Nadu Girish Chodankar on Saturday asserted that the Congress remained committed to its long-standing alliance with the DMK.
Categorically denying that the Congress was in talks with any other party, Chodankar said the alliance talks with the DMK were progressing smoothly and that they are expected to conclude soon.
Addressing reporters at the Sathyamoorthy Bhavan, Chodankar said a five-member coordination committee was formed to take forward the alliance negotiations with the DMK.
“The talks are ongoing and are being held in a cordial manner. We will be called for the next round of discussions very soon. Both sides will sit together and finalise the issues,” he said.
On reports suggesting that the Congress had demanded 38 seats and three Cabinet berths from the DMK, Chodankar rubbished the claim, saying that he would not respond to “speculative media reports”. The party would disclose its seat-sharing expectations at the appropriate time, he added.
Chodankar also clarified that the TNCC president’s decision to skip a recent (MDMK) event was based on ethical considerations. “We chose not to participate. Other parties may make their own decisions. We cannot interfere in the internal affairs of our allies,” he said.
For the unversed, the TNCC had boycotted the political gathering of the DMK allies to mark the launch of MDMK chief Vaiko’s ‘Equality March’ on Friday. Congress leaders said the party decided to stay away after the invitation allegedly carried a photograph of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
Chodankar reiterated that the Congress was rebuilding its organisational structure across Tamil Nadu, from booth-level committees to the PCC, and said leadership announcements for district president posts would be made shortly.
Responding to questions on timelines for the seat-sharing talks, TNCC president Selvaperunthagai stated that terms such as deadlines were never used by the Congress leadership.
He said early finalisation of alliances would help streamline constituency allocation, candidate preparation, and campaign strategies. “No rigid conditions have been imposed. These are based on past electoral experiences,” he added.