Pondy Cong.'s call to secular front parties

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, FEB. 25. The Pradesh Congress Committee president, Mr. V. Narayanaswamy, today reiterated the party's resolve not to give up its `no.1' position in the union territory.

The high command had also made it clear that both the Congress and the TMC would function together with a spirit of cooperation, he told reporters here today. The constituents of the secular front should guard against any split in the front as it would only be advantageous to the Opposition, he said.

The Congress had garnered 32 per cent of the votes polled in the 1998 Lok Sabha poll (when it fought the poll on its own). This showed that the party had strong roots in the union territory. In the 1999 Lok Sabha poll, the Congress wrested the seat from the DMK-led front (when it had the support of the AIADMK). He said a team of local leaders including the Chief Minister, Mr. Shanmugham had apprised the two emissaries, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mr. Pranab Mukerjee, of this ``comparatively better position,'' the Congress enjoyed in Pondicherry.

The PCC chief said he would call on the TMC leader, Mr. G.K. Moopanar, at Chennai, to have a formal discussion on sharing of seats for the coming Assembly polls here. Beginning tomorrow, the PCC would receive applications along with the prescribed deposits till March 7 from those intending to contest the coming election on the party ticket.

Referring to the BJP president, Mr. Bangaru Laxman's remarks that the party's stand on building a Ram temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya still held good, the PCC chief demanded that the DMK president, Mr. Karunanidhi, clarify his party's stand on continuing in the NDA front. If the DMK retained its tie-up with the NDA, it was only to retain itself in power, he charged.

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