DMK chief M Karunanidhi: File pic
Chennai:
DMK chief M Karunanidhi today ruled out any alliance with the BJP for the national election due by May, and said his comments on Narendra Modi were 'twisted.'
Mr Karunanidhi had been quoted in a newspaper interview as saying that Mr Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate for 2014, was a "good person" and had proved his capabilities as an administrator in Gujarat. This was seen as an indication that the Dravidian party was reaching out to the BJP.
The DMK chief today told NDTV, "There is no question of an alliance with the BJP. Why do you keep asking that? There's neither a question nor any letter on that."
He also distanced himself from his reported comments on Mr Modi, saying "I will not give any personal opinion on him."
Some view Mr Karunanidhi's controversial interview as a trial balloon. While he has denied a prepoll alliance with Mr Modi's party, an alliance after the polls is not off the table, say sources.
Asked whether the DMK would go it alone in the election, the 89-year-old patriarch said his party would fight "with friendly parties who are already with us."
Sources say Mr Karunanidhi's younger son MK Stalin, the party Treasurer, and two Muslim allies of the DMK are firmly against any alliance with the BJP.
The DMK had fought the 2004 and 2009 elections with the Congress in Tamil Nadu. Earlier this year, the party pulled out of the Congress-led UPA coalition accusing the government of failing to take a tough stand on Sri Lanka's alleged war crimes against the country's Tamil population.
The DMK General Council, the party's top decision-making body, had in a meeting on Sunday ruled out an alliance with the Congress. Mr Karunanidhi had reportedly said in the meeting, "the Congress betrayed the DMK in the 2G case and wasn't supporting the Lankan Tamils issue as well." (read)
This comes after the Congress was mauled in recent assembly elections in four states, seen as an indicator of how India will vote in the general election.
Mr Karunanidhi had been quoted in a newspaper interview as saying that Mr Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate for 2014, was a "good person" and had proved his capabilities as an administrator in Gujarat. This was seen as an indication that the Dravidian party was reaching out to the BJP.
The DMK chief today told NDTV, "There is no question of an alliance with the BJP. Why do you keep asking that? There's neither a question nor any letter on that."
He also distanced himself from his reported comments on Mr Modi, saying "I will not give any personal opinion on him."
Some view Mr Karunanidhi's controversial interview as a trial balloon. While he has denied a prepoll alliance with Mr Modi's party, an alliance after the polls is not off the table, say sources.
Asked whether the DMK would go it alone in the election, the 89-year-old patriarch said his party would fight "with friendly parties who are already with us."
Sources say Mr Karunanidhi's younger son MK Stalin, the party Treasurer, and two Muslim allies of the DMK are firmly against any alliance with the BJP.
The DMK had fought the 2004 and 2009 elections with the Congress in Tamil Nadu. Earlier this year, the party pulled out of the Congress-led UPA coalition accusing the government of failing to take a tough stand on Sri Lanka's alleged war crimes against the country's Tamil population.
The DMK General Council, the party's top decision-making body, had in a meeting on Sunday ruled out an alliance with the Congress. Mr Karunanidhi had reportedly said in the meeting, "the Congress betrayed the DMK in the 2G case and wasn't supporting the Lankan Tamils issue as well." (read)
This comes after the Congress was mauled in recent assembly elections in four states, seen as an indicator of how India will vote in the general election.
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