IUML claims credit for patching up DMK-Congress differences

Chennai, Mar 9: Indian Union Muslim League(IUML), a constituent of the DMK-led alliance in the poll-bound Tamil Nadu, today claimed credit for patching up differences between the ruling party and the Congress on seat-sharing deal, citing its ''generosity'' by giving up a seat for the national party.

Stating that the Congress-DMK alliance had been on ''the verge of collapse'' over seat sharing, IUML national president E Ahamed said his party was approached by well-wishers of both parties to ''intervene'' at a crucial juncture.

"In consultations with my party colleagues in Tamil Nadu, I tried my best to patch up the differences. With the generosity of my colleagues in the state,I was able to do so and overcome the impasse," he said in a statement from Delhi last night.

Ahamed said that his party had always tried to maintain the unity and strengthen secular forces "in the best interest of the nation.

After days of hard-bargaining, DMK gave away a seat from its own quota and took one each from allies PMK and IUML, which were earlier allotted 31 and three seats, to satisfy the Congress, which had raised its demand for 63 seats.

PTI