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Jaya offers TMC-Congress 45 seats in TN, and Pondy too

N Sathiya Moorthy in Madras

AIADMK chief Jayalalitha Jayaram put the ball back in the Congress-Tamil Maanila Congress's court on Tuesday, offering them both 45 assembly seats in Tamil Nadu, and hinting at most of the remaining 20 seats in Pondicherry.

Talking to newsmen at her party headquarters, Jayalalitha also offered the Congress, the two-and-half year rule that the AIADMK was now entitled to in Pondicherry, as per the rotational agreement signed with the PMK in Pondicherry.

Jayalalitha's announcement assumes significance in the light of TMC chief G K Moopanar's statement earlier in the day, to declare his party's decision on the alliance question before the day is out. "We have been holding talks only with Moopanar even on behalf of the Congress," Jayalalitha said, passing on the onus of decision-making back to the TMC chief.

While the TMC is divided still on taking up the AIADMK offer, the Congress has been pushed into a quandary by Jayalalitha's offer of more seats in Pondicherry and also passing on the benefit of possible chief ministership accruing to her party in the Union territory. "The Congress will have to choose between basic principles of opposing the PMK's participation in the alliance, and its willingness to accept the PMK as a 'junior partner', if that is the term," says a senior AIADMK leader.

There is however, resentment within the Tamil Nadu Congress, over the 10 seats that the party is likely to get, after earmarking 35 for the TMC in the state. "It is not worth the trouble of aligning with the AIADMK," says a senior party leader adding, "It is however for the high command to decide, but after taking into consideration, our basic stand on the PMK issue, given the latter's pro-LTTE stand."

In an obvious reference to the PMK pact, Jayalalitha also clarified that the no party should take offence to the AIADMK concluding alliance talks with others. She also claimed that the delay caused by 'some parties' have demoralised the AIADMK cadres, and the leadership would have to take measures to re-energise them before the elections.

Jayalalitha also took exception to the communist parties going to the media on their demands for a total of 32 seats in Tamil Nadu. "They should have spoken to me directly, and I do not want to reply to them through the media," she said. Referring to this, however, a CPI-M leader referred to the induction of the PMK without consultations, "about which, we learnt only from media reports".

Indications are that Jayalalitha is waiting for the TMC-Congress decision before reviving the stalled talks with the communist parties. Though Jayalalitha said the DMK's revived invitation to the TMC, as made out by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Monday, was caused by fears of losing the elections, TMC sources now claim that the AIADMK requires the party as much as any other. "It is this that has forced Jayalalitha to up the stakes, and we would not be surprised if the AIADMK offers the Congress-TMC combine all of the 20 assembly seats in Pondicherry," says a TMC leader, without committing the party as yet to the AIADMK combine.

State Congress leaders also see in Jayalalitha's new offer, an open bid to divide the Congress and the TMC. "By seemingly addressing all our concerns on the Pondy and PMK fronts, Jayalalitha has pushed the TMC into choosing between the Congress and the AIADMK-PMK combine. Implied in Jayalalitha's offer is all 45 seats in Tamil Nadu for the TMC, should the Congress still opt out," says he, adding, "It is now left to Moopanar to decide, as the Congress high command has always been saying on the alliance issue."

ALSO SEE:

Piqued TMC may settle for Third Front
DMK woos Dalits to counter 'pro-Vanniar' AIADMK

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