Sunday, Jun 16, 2013, 12:13 IST | Place: New Delhi | Agency: DNA
Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s ascendance in the rival BJP-led
NDA has sent waves of concern within the Congress, which is now urgently
revisiting former allies, who have left over the years. The UPA has
lost 10 crucial allies, since it came to power in 2000.
The last one to leave was Tamil Nadu’s DMK, which walked out last March on the government’s failure to address the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. Of the UPA’s original 14 allies, it now has just five.
Although the Congress put up a brave face on Friday, saying Modi was no challenge for the party and even rapped its minister Jairam Ramesh for discussing managerial and ideological challenges posed by the Modi publicly, the party’s committee on alliances headed by defence minister AK Antony has asked leaders to revive contacts with secular parties and explore possibility of alliances, without compromising on the Congress’ strengths.
The first sign came with the Congress’ willingness to help DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi’s daughter M Kanimozhi to seek a second Rajya Sabha term, elections for which are on June 27. Top leaders said besides DMK, the Congress is also in touch with other smaller parties through the back channel to increase the number of allies in the UPA.
Despite the DMK parting ways with the UPA, Congress leaders hope a new beginning can be made. This will likely open up the possibility of the two parties contesting Lok Sabha polls together.
Realising that the ruling AIADMK led by J Jayalalitha was positioning herself as a leader of a Third Front, and is even inching towards the NDA, a senior Congress leader said there was no alternative for the party but to have DMK return to the UPA fold.
Kanimozhi, one of the accused in the 2G scam, submitted her nomination papers in Chennai on Saturday. The Congress decision to woo DMK comes a day after Union minister and senior party leader Jayanthi Natarajan met Karunanidhi. Natarajan too will complete her Rajya Sabha term next year, and would require support from DMK and others to return to Delhi’s power corridors.
The last one to leave was Tamil Nadu’s DMK, which walked out last March on the government’s failure to address the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. Of the UPA’s original 14 allies, it now has just five.
Although the Congress put up a brave face on Friday, saying Modi was no challenge for the party and even rapped its minister Jairam Ramesh for discussing managerial and ideological challenges posed by the Modi publicly, the party’s committee on alliances headed by defence minister AK Antony has asked leaders to revive contacts with secular parties and explore possibility of alliances, without compromising on the Congress’ strengths.
The first sign came with the Congress’ willingness to help DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi’s daughter M Kanimozhi to seek a second Rajya Sabha term, elections for which are on June 27. Top leaders said besides DMK, the Congress is also in touch with other smaller parties through the back channel to increase the number of allies in the UPA.
Despite the DMK parting ways with the UPA, Congress leaders hope a new beginning can be made. This will likely open up the possibility of the two parties contesting Lok Sabha polls together.
Realising that the ruling AIADMK led by J Jayalalitha was positioning herself as a leader of a Third Front, and is even inching towards the NDA, a senior Congress leader said there was no alternative for the party but to have DMK return to the UPA fold.
Kanimozhi, one of the accused in the 2G scam, submitted her nomination papers in Chennai on Saturday. The Congress decision to woo DMK comes a day after Union minister and senior party leader Jayanthi Natarajan met Karunanidhi. Natarajan too will complete her Rajya Sabha term next year, and would require support from DMK and others to return to Delhi’s power corridors.
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1848819/report-political-needs-may-bring-congress-dmk-together-again
