New Delhi: Dashing hopes of Tamil Nadu Congressmen, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Monday said the issue of power sharing in the state did not figure during his talks with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
He also asserted the MDMK chief Vaiko was not part of the ruling UPA coalition at the Centre.
"Single party government was decided before the elections. Neither she talked about it nor did I," he told reporters after a 30-minute meeting with Gandhi, his first after the DMK-led coalition romped home in the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls in May.”
After being in the political wilderness for nearly four decades, the state Congress feels it has the best chance of getting into government with 34 MLAs and therefore was demanding a share in power as the DMK is dependent on its support for majority.
Congress has 34 MLAs in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly. The DMK, with 96 MLAs, is 22 members short of a majority, and its government is supported by its allies, which include the Congress, PMK, and Left parties.
Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily had said that the state Congress had left a decision on power sharing to Gandhi after the CLP had decided it would be in the best interests of the DPA if other partners join the government.
Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran, who was also present during their meeting, said, "It is already written on the wall. It is for you people to read it".
Karunanidhi, who has made a host of promises to the people before the elections, said only developmental issues concerning the state were discussed in detail during his talks with Gandhi.
He said he has also invited Gandhi to lay the foundation stone of a new aviation-training institute named after late Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur, which she has accepted.
Asked about the Nanguneri Special Economic Zone, he said all efforts would be made to complete the project and a plant to produce colour television sets would be set up there.
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