No plan to float third front: TNCC(I)

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, OCT. 2. The Congress(I) has no plans of floating a third political front in Tamil Nadu, the TNCC(I) president, Mr. E.V.K.S. Elangovan, said today.

``As TNCC(I) president, I have not mooted a third front,'' Mr. Elangovan told the media here, refuting reports that he was in favour of Congress(I) floating an alternative front to both the DMK and the AIADMK.

Stating that the Janata Party president, Mr. Subramaniam Swamy was the sole promoter of third front in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Elangovan said the Congress(I) did not subscribe to the proposal.

When pointed out that the former TNCC(I) president, Mr. M. P. Subramaniam, had also urged the Congress(I) leadership to snap its alliance with the AIADMK and form a third front, Mr. Elangovan said, as the president of the TNCC(I) he had made no such proposal.

As for the AIADMK chairman, Mr. K. Kalimuthu's fresh offensive against him yesterday, all Mr. Elangovan would say was, ``no comments.''

Not willing to be drawn into a renewed war of words with the AIADMK, Mr. Elangovan said he would not respond to Mr. Kalimuthu's accusation that he had misquoted the AIADMK general secretary, Ms. Jayalalitha, as having ``praised'' the Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna for his handling of the Veerappan hostage crisis.

On the PMK leader, Dr. S. Ramadoss' sarcastic suggestion that the Congress(I) and TMC should join hands and float an alternative front to establish Kamaraj rule, Mr. Elangovan merely said he had already given a call to the TMC to merge with the Congress(I).

However, he wondered why Dr. Ramadoss was keen on Kamaraj rule in Tamil Nadu when he was demanding the ouster of the Congress(I)- led Government in Pondicherry.

Reiterating his demand for a ban on the PMK and the MDMK for their ``pro-LTTE activism,'' the TNCC(I) chief urged the Centre and the State Government to keep a close watch on the activities of the Tamizhar Desiya Iyakkam, whose leader Mr. P. Nedumaran was organising a conference, allegedly in support of the banned outfit today.

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Section  : Southern States
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