TNCC firm on its alliance with DMK: TN Cong chief

Chennai, Jan 6 (PTI) The Congress is firm on its alliance with the DMK, and it would talk in a dignified manner and get the number of seats it requires to contest in the forthcoming Assembly polls, TNCC President K Selvaperuthagai said on Tuesday.

Further, top party leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was likely to attend a protest here over doing away with the erstwhile rural employment guarantee act, MNGREGA.

"There is no threat to our alliance with the DMK. We will discuss with them in a dignified manner to get the number of seats we require," Selvaperunthagai told reporters at the state Congress hq, Satyamurthy Bhavan, here.

Once the seat-sharing pact has been finalised, it would be shared with the media immediately, the senior party leader said.

He said the party would hold a protest in Chennai against the Centre's decision to do away with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005.

"In this meeting, Congress leader and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is scheduled to take part and we are expecting all the beneficiaries of the MGNREGA scheme from Tamil Nadu to attend. Once the date is finalised, we will inform you the details,", he said.

To expedite the poll related works, he said about 1,000 'Election Warriors' have been set up in each constituency, across Tamil Nadu in view of the forthcoming polls, he said.

Responding to a query on reports of party cadres expressing willingness to ally with actor-politician Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, he said, "There is no such discussion among the cadre." "Our cadre obey what the party high command says. They will obey it and work for the welfare of the party and for the victory of alliance partners." Referring to the recent visit of the Congress party's in-charge for Tamil Nadu, Girish Chodankar, to Chennai, Selvaperunthagai said that during his visit, he stressed that the INDIA bloc should be further strengthened in Tamil Nadu and it must be ensured that there is no space for the RSS and the BJP in the state.

On the comments made by Congress MP B Manickam Tagore that there should be a demand for sharing of power in Tamil Nadu after the Assembly polls, Selvaperunthagai said, "He has made such a comment. It is his right. He is our senior-most MP. Our high command is very clear in its decision." "Girish Chodankar already clarified during his visit to the state that the Congress did not talk with any political party for an alliance. We are only talking with the DMK," he reaffirmed.

During his visit to Chennai on January 4, Chodankar ruled out the scope for an alliance with TVK for this year's Assembly election. Responding to a query, Selvaperunthagai said the party has drawn up plans to hold series of rallies at the zonal level across Tamil Nadu in February and this would later culminate in the election campaigns.

"We have written to Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi to take part. They have also agreed to our request," he said.

Selvaperunthagai said a conference for fishermen and the weavers' communities have also been planned in February in which Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi, President Mallikarjuna Kharge were expected to attend.

"The date and venue of these events will be announced in the coming days," he said. PTI VIJ SA