Left's decision on withdrawing support to DMK Govt soon: CPI

Chennai, Aug 27 (UNI) The Left parties in Tamil Nadu, which have walked out of the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) for all practical purposes, would soon take a decision on the question of withdrawing support to the DMK Government.

Announcing this, Communist Party of India (CPI) state unit Secretary D Pandian told newspersons here the Left parties would walk out of the DMK-led alliance after it had decided to float a separate front, by severing ties with the parties which had alliance with the Congress or the BJP.

However, no decision has been taken so far on the question of withdrawing support to the DMK government, he said. CPI(M) state unit Secretary N Varadarajan had reportedly said in Dindigul yesterday that the CPI(M) would not withdraw support to the DMK Government.

The two leaders are expected to formally announce their decision to quit the DMK-led DPA, because of its ties with the Congress.

Even if the Left parties, which together had a strength of 16 MLAs, withdraw support, it would not pose any threat to the survival of the DMK Government as long as it enjoyed the support of the Congress, which had 35 MLAs.

The DMK, which had 96 MLAs, 22 short for an absolute majority in the 234-member House, had formed the government in May 2006 with outside supports provided by the Congress, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and the Left parties.

The government has to rely on the Congress support as DMK had expelled the PMK from the alliance and the Left parties took to toying with the idea of withdrawing support.

Mr Pandian said the Left parties were open to alliance with the parties, which had no ties with the Congress and the BJP. The party would be open for talks with the AIADMK, if it declared that it would have no ties with the BJP, he added.

Flaying the state government for the diesel shortage, he said this appeared to be a tactical move to sell branded diesel at a higher price and the government should prevail upon the oil companies to make adequate supply.

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