Poll strategy on during elections, Ramadoss mum on alliance

Chennai, Aug 26 (UNI) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder-leader S Ramadoss today parried questions on the alliance issue, stating that there was no change in his stand that the party would announce its poll strategy at the time of elections.

When the PMK leader called for a press conference this morning, it was widely expected that he would at least throw some hints on the party's alliance strategy in the backdrop of reported efforts to bring it back into the DMK led DPA fold.

However, Dr Ramadoss, after talking in detail about the need for imposing total prohibition in the state, declined to answer any question on the current political situation and requested newspersons to confine their queries to prohibition.

When persisted, he said he had said two days ago that the party would take appropriate decision on alliance only at the time of elections and there was no change in this.

As the media would not leave him, Dr Ramadoss, amid laughter, said he would call them for another press conference. ''I will call you in two days and we will discuss politics'', he said.

The PMK, which was expelled from the DMK led Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA), is now in the centrestage of Tamil Nadu politics, following reports that there were efforts to bring back the party into the DMK fold.

The PMK appeared to be pleased with Chief Minister and DMK President M Karuanidhi's remarks that the presence of PMK would have made DPA much stronger, at a time when the left parties are parting ways.

Union Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, after calling on Mr Karunanidhi on August 24, had expressed the hope that the PMK would come back to the DMK fold.

''The DMK snapping ties with the PMK is not final. The PMK may come back to the DMK fold even tomorrow'', he had said.

The PMK, however, is maintaining that it was not in a hurry and the party would take a decision at the time of elections.

UNI WS VV BDP DS1401