Karunanidhi rejects rumours over DMK-BJP tie-up | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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Karunanidhi rejects rumours over DMK-BJP tie-up

Hindustan Times | By, Chennai
Dec 20, 2013 07:20 PM IST

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi on Friday ruled out the possibility of an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or the Congress ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi on Friday ruled out the possibility of an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or the Congress ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

DMK-chief-M-Karunanidhi-addresses-at-a-press-conference-in-Chennai-PTI
DMK-chief-M-Karunanidhi-addresses-at-a-press-conference-in-Chennai-PTI

The former Tamil Nadu chief minister blamed the media for twisting his words on the BJP and its prime ministerial nominee, Narendra Modi.

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Karunanidhi’s statement comes in response to an interview published in an English daily, which quoted Karunanidhi as praising Gujarat chief minister Modi and sparked speculations of a DMK-BJP tie-up.

The DMK had snapped its two-year alliance with the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre in December 2003. It was a part of the UPA 2 government till March this year. The DMK parted ways with the Congress over the Sri Lankan Tamil issue.

Talking to mediapersons at the DMK headquarters in Chennai, Karunanidhi reiterated that his party would not forge an alliance with the BJP or the Congress. “Why do you keep asking that,” the DMK veteran told mediapersons.

Karunanidhi on Sunday had ruled out any such possibility at the party’s general council meeting.

A party source said DMK treasurer and Karunanidhi’s son, MK Stalin, had opposed a tie-up with the BJP. Stalin read Karunanidhi’s statement on Friday before it was released to the media.

“We will fight elections with existing... parties in our alliance,” Karunanidhi said.

Two Muslim parties in the DMK-led alliance — the Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam and the Indian Muslim League — have made it clear that they would not have any tie-up with a party that supports the BJP or Modi.

Apart from them, the DMK has the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and the Puthiya Thamizhagam by its side.

A BJP leader, however, reads Karunanidhi’s interview published in the daily as the DMK veteran’s bid to cosy up to the saffron party.

“Karunanidhi wants a hold at the Centre. More important for him is to prevent (chief minister) Jayalalithaa from coming close to the BJP,” he said.

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