Cong-DMK ties will continue, says Pranab after meeting Karuna

Chennai, Jul 9 (PTI) In the backdrop of Dayanidhi
Maran's exit from the Indian Cabinet over the 2G scam issue,
senior Congress leader and Indian Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee Saturday discussed the current political situation
with Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi and
asserted that the alliance between the two parties would be
strengthened.
Emerging from over an hour-long meeting with
Karunanidhi at his residence here, Mukherjee told reporters,
"The alliance is there, the alliance will continue and it will
be strengthened."
There were a lot of reports and speculation whether
the alliance between the Congress and DMK would continue, he
said in apparent reference to strains in the ties between the
two parties following the exit of two DMK ministers, the
arrest of Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum
case and the rout of the alliance in the assembly polls.
Seeking to downplay his meeting with Karunanidhi,
which came two days after Maran resigned, Mukherjee said it
was his pratice to call on the DMK leader whenever he was in
the city.
Noting that this was his first visit to south Indian
city Chennai after the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, he said, "I
took the opportunity of calling on him and explained the
current political situation and shared our views."
He declined to take any questions from mediapersons.
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