Senior DMK leader vouches to ditch Cong, go solo in local body polls

Seems like all is not well between coalition partners DMK and Congress, senior leader of the former party K N Nehru on Saturday called for contesting the upcoming local body elections alone in Tamil Nadu.

Nehru said that DMK is carrying Congress in a "palanquin" on its shoulders.

"It will be good if we contest the local body polls alone. How many days should we carry the palanquin for them," Nehru said here.

However, he said that last word in the matter will be of DMK chief M K Stalin.

The leader said, "It is my opinion but I will agree with what my leader says. If he asks us to carry Congress on our shoulders, we are ready."

DMK president Stalin, however, shares a cordial relationship with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. At the time of Lok Sabha elections, he had advocated that the Gandhi should be made prime minister if UPA came to power at the Centre.

Local body elections are due in 2016 Tamil Nadu and have been delayed owing to various reasons.

DMK had filed a case in the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court on the issue.

DMK and Congress fought the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance. While DMK won 23 seats, the grand old party bagged eight out of total 38 seats in the state.