Karnuanidhi scared of AIADMK joining Third front

Chennai, June 27: All India Anna DMK (AIADMK) General Secretary J Jayalalithaa today said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi was ''scared'' of her party joining the third front at the national level.

In a statement here, Ms Jayalalithaa, referring to the DMK Chief's remarks that the CPI(M) had already shut the door for her party, wondered why Mr Karunanidhi was so much concerned about AIADMK joining the front.

Referring to his remark that the CPI(M) had made it clear that they would form the front sans AIADMK, in response to her statement that national leaders were in touch with her, Ms Jayalaithaa said she had only stated national leaders were in touch with her. ''I never said that the CPI(M) leaders are talking to her'', she added.

She said Telugu Desam Party leader N Chandrababu Naidu, and Amar Singh, on behalf of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, were keeping in touch with her for the past two years with regard to formation of the third front.

Mr Karunanidhi was obviously upset and frustrated that national leaders were talking to her over formation of the third front, she said and claimed that the DMK leader was also trying to become part of the proposed third front.

Alleging that the DMK had first allied with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and later with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the Centre for ''enjoying power'', Ms Jayalalithaa said if the third front was in a position to capture power at the centre, Mr Karunanidhi would not like to miss the opportunity.

He had already prepared to join the third front and during his recent Delhi visit, the DMK leader, after calling on Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had met CPI(M) Leader Harkishan Singh Surjit and expressed his willingness to join the third front, she alleged.

UNI