'Why hesitate to declare DMK with Cong?'

The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu hit out at DMK chief M K Stalin on Tuesday for saying his party would decide on being part of the next Union cabinet formed by "whichever party" after the Lok Sabha results, asking what was his "hesitation" over standing firmly with ally Congress.

Asked if the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) would be a part of the next Union cabinet formed by "whichever party", Stalin had said, "I can respond to this only after the conclusion of counting on May 23."

Latching on to his statement, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) mouthpiece "Namathu Amma" pointed out that the DMK was an ally of the Congress and therefore, Stalin should have said his party would only be a part of the UPA cabinet.

"If he was an honest leader and a politician who stood by his principles, shouldn't he have said that the DMK will not be part of any other (central) cabinet than the one headed by the Congress?," a write-up in the AIADMK mouthpiece asked.

"What is the logic behind saying he will respond to this after counting," it added.

Recalling state BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan's recent statement that the DMK was in talks with the saffron party, possibly for a post-poll alliance, the article said she had "exposed Stalin's double standards".

"It is clear that Stalin is only keen on securing cabinet berths (for the DMK) and not following (coalition) principles," it charged.

What was the "hesitation" on his part to declare that his party would be a part of only the Congress-led alliance and not any other grouping, it asked.