Assembly elections are to be held in Tamil Nadu after a few months and political turmoil has increased regarding this. All the major parties are busy strengthening the political alliance. Meanwhile, discord is emerging in the ruling coalition led by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the state. However, denying any rift in relations between DMK and Congress, State Congress chief (TNCC) Selvaperunthagai said there is no rift. Both parties will start talks on seat-sharing in a week.
Congress state president Selvaperunthagai expressed confidence that his party is expected to get the seats as expected during talks with DMK. "We are not putting any kind of pressure on our ally. We will ask for what we want and we will get it and the DMK will give it to us," he told reporters in Tiruvallur, about 45 km from Chennai.
Regarding DMK Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi's meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the national capital Delhi recently, the Tamil Nadu state president said, "We are in talks on this. We will start talks again in about a week."
Meanwhile, Selvaperunthagai took a dig at main opposition AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami's meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah wearing a "mask", saying, "In contrast to that meeting, Kanimozhi's meeting with our leader was straightforward and dignified."
In the last assembly elections held in Tamil Nadu in the year 2021, Congress had formed an alliance with the Stalin-led DMK party. In the elections, Congress was given 25 seats by DMK, out of which it won 18 seats.
Meanwhile, O Panneerselvam, expelled leader of the opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), on Thursday said that he is ready to come back to the party, although his rival in the party EK Palaniswami immediately rejected his request.
Former chief minister Panneerselvam said, "I am ready to join AIADMK. Are TTV Dhinakaran (AIADMK general secretary) and Palaniswami ready (to accept)?" Dinakaran was also expelled from AIADMK. Dhinakaran had opposed Palaniswami. However, recently Dhinakaran has returned to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) accepting the leadership of former Chief Minister Palaniswami to defeat DMK in the elections.
But within hours of Panneerselvam's announcement, Palaniswami ruled out any possibility of taking him back into the party fold and said the collective decision to expel him from the AIADMK was taken by the party's General Council, its highest decision-making body. The General Council of AIDMK had taken a unanimous decision to expel Panneerselvam from the party in 2022.
