Tamil Nadu: Congress to tie up with like-minded parties

New Delhi: The current mood in the Congress is to fight the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls in alliance  with “like-minded parties”. This view emerged in a meeting of Tamil Nadu Congress leaders called by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi here on Wednesday. “We are unlikely to go it alone,” said a Tamil Nadu Congress leader while others foresaw a grand alliance emerging on the lines of Bihar which saw the JD(U), RJD and Congress  combine to check the BJP-led front in the recently-held Assembly polls.

The Congress cannot go with the AIADMK which has become “friendly” with the BJP at the Centre. But the real question is can it fight the electoral battle along with the BJP in a  front and thus give space to the saffron party.

Mr Rahul held deliberations with Congress leaders from Tamil Nadu on the strategy to  be adopted in the poll-bound state where the issue of forging an alliance holds the key to the party’s prospects.

“Everyone gave ideas and opinions to the leadership on how to face the elections,” TNCC chief E.V.K.S. Elangovan said after talks with Mr Rahul.

The Congress had contested the last Lok Sabha election on its own and had drawn a  blank. It had contested the last Assembly election along with the DMK but secured just  five seats. The Assembly strength in the state is 234.

Mr Elangovan refused to elaborate on the stand of the state unit on the alliance issue, insisting that it was for the party high command to decide whether the Congress should fight as part of a tie-up with other like-minded parties or go it alone. Several former PCC chiefs and former ministers were present at the consultations.

Only last month, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi had said the Congress would be invited to  join the alliance led by his outfit for the Assembly elections in TN.