CHENNAI: Amid a war of words between leaders of allies DMK and the Congress, the Grand Old Party's top brass limited their grievance to the State's ruling party delaying the formation of the seat-sharing panel on its side.
Stating that the Congress party has been waiting for more than 70 days for an official invitation from the DMK to begin seat-sharing talks, the Congress in charge of Tamil Nadu, Girish Chodankar, said on Tuesday.
He added that the ruling party should immediately initiate discussions as the Assembly elections draw closer. The remarks come after newly appointed district-level party chiefs from Tamil Nadu met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, at a crucial meeting ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls.
TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai went one step ahead, playing down the tiff between the two parties' leaders, claiming that "What the Chief Minister MK Stalin says will be final.
" He added that others' speculations are irrelevant, referring to various DMK ministers denying any chance of a coalition government and others ridiculing Congress over what they claimed as 'having a weak base.'
Chodankar's tone was more of a grouse than anger at the DMK, the leader of the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu.
He said the Congress constituted its negotiation committee as early as November at the direction of the national leadership. Recalling the December 3 meeting with Chief Minister MK Stalin at his invitation, Chodankar said that, despite initial discussions, the party has been waiting for an official call from the DMK for the past 70 days.
"With less time left for the elections, seat-sharing talks must begin immediately. The continued delay has caused deep concern and pain among Congress leaders," he said, adding that the party hoped the Chief Minister would soon invite the Congress for formal negotiations.
Meanwhile, Selvaperunthagai played down the district presidents' meeting with Rahul Gandhi as a routine intra-party initiative.
He said the party would convey the national leadership's views on the elections to the Chief Minister in person within the next one or two days.
Selvaperunthagai said all arrangements were in place for the visit of senior Congress leaders to Tamil Nadu, but the visit was being delayed as the seat-sharing agreement had not yet been finalised.
"Once the DMK forms its negotiation committee, talks will move swiftly, and election work will intensify, " he said.
He also asserted that Congress was fully prepared for the elections.