AIADMK downplays DMDK's MPs' jibe, denies impasse over talks

AIADMK top leader and Chief Minister K Palaniswami Saturday denied there was a deadlock in talks with the DMDK and softpedalled the prospective ally's remarks against his party.

Downplaying the DMDK's remark that despite having 37 MPs, AIADMK could not bring good projects to the state, he said it was natural to be critical while being in the opposite camp and a consensus on views would emerge only when an alliance was struck.

"Each party has a stand. There is no impasse (over talks aimed at stitching an alliance to face the Lok Sabha polls)," he told reporters at Salem when asked about the deadlock in talks with the DMDK.

Premalatha Vijayakanth, DMDK's treasurer and wife of party chief Vijayakanth, had asked on Friday what benefit Tamil Nadu got though the AIADMK won 37 of the 39 seats without being part of any alliance in 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Since AIADMK was not part of the winning combine -NDA- that wrested power at the Centre from the Congress, Tamil Nadu could not get "good projects" from the Union government notwithstanding its 37 MPs, she had told reporters.

"This is an election to elect MPs, the Prime Minister and we have to tie-up with only one of the two national parties," she had said, adding that a good decision would be out in a couple of days.

The Congress party is in alliance with the DMK and the latter had days ago declared it had no seats to offer to DMDK.

The DMDK's remark, though seen as a jibe directed at the ruling party, was also perceived as a bid to defend the proposal to tie up with the AIADMK combine since the BJP is a key constituent in that alliance.

Palaniswami said: "We know to what extent MDMK chief Vaiko had lambasted the DMK. Now he is in the DMK front and is extolling (DMK chief Stalin) sky-high... you don't air such things in the (visual) media."