RS polls: Chidambaram seeks PMK support for DPA candidates

Chennai, Mar 9 (UNI) Justifying the allotment of seats by DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi for the coming Rajya Sabha polls from the State, Union Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram today urged the PMK to extend support to the DPA candidates in the March 26 elections.

Talking to newspersons after calling on Mr Karunanidhi here, he expressed happiness at the Congress being allotted a seat.

On the PMK's displeasure over the non-allotment of a seat despite repeated appeals, he said ''the DPA leader will decide on this issue. He has explained his stand. In the first round, the PMK was allotted a seat, the CPI in the second round, and the Congress and the CPI(M) in the third round. The PMK will be accommodated in the next round.'' Mr Chidambaram appealed to PMK founder-leader S Ramadoss to accept Mr Karunanidhi's explanation and extend support to the candidates of the DPA.

He said his party high command would take a decision on the party candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls.

The Minister said he would provide all details about the farm loan waiver scheme, announced in the Union budget, in Parliament on March 14.

Dismissing criticisms that the Union budget was presented with an eye on elections, Mr Chidambaram said ''every budget is an election budget. This criticism is being levelled just for the sake of criticising. I don't see it as a criticism, but I accept it happily.'' Asked whether he discussed politics with Mr Karunanidhi, he replied in the affirmative and said they also discussed about the Union budget and the Tamil Nadu budget to be presented on March 20.

The purpose of his visit was to finalise the date for a function in his Sivaganga constituency, for which he had invited the Chief Minister, he added.

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