Dr Ramadoss said the party would, however, remain in the

DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) in the State for the Lok Sabha elections, due in 2009.

''There is no change in our stand to continue our alliance with the Congress and DMK for the Lok Sabha elections,'' he said.

Ruling out the possibility of any mid-term poll to the Lok Sabha in view of the Congress' debacle in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, Dr Ramadoss said he was sure that the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre would complete its full five-year term.

The PMK leader dismissed as ''passing clouds'', the party's feud with the ruling DMK and said these were common in politics.

DMK President and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi himself had described the views expressed by him as constructive criticism.

''Our criticisms against the ruling DMK are within the limits of constructive criticism and we never crossed the limits,'' he added.

Dr Ramadoss said the party had raised its voice on a number of issues during 2007 and seriously fought against taking over farmlands for setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and organised demonstrations to contain cement prices.

The DMK Government, responding to the PMK demand, had assured that it would not touch farmland while setting up SEZs and announced its decision to sell imported cement through the Civil Supplies Corporation. ''This is a victory for the PMK,'' he said.

Welcoming the Government's move to nationalise cement factories if they did not bring down the prices, he said as a first step towards the move, the Government should pass orders that the cement companies should supply 25 per cent of its total production to the Government.

UNI WS GD RL AS1535