Chennai

Jan 2

TMC president G K Vasan today said that the letter written by TNCC president E V K S Elangovan, urging the TMC cadres for a merger with the Congress, had set an unhealthy precendent in politics. Speaking to reporters after meeting party leaders and office-bearers at Sathyamurthy Bhavan here to discuss the the letter sent by the TNCC president, he said that the ' letter had not paved way for the good and healthy politics ' .

Replying to a question, Vasan said that the point of merger did not arise now as the party continued to maintain its earlier stand on the merger with Congress even today.

Asked if the denial of the Rajya Sabha seat to TMC by AIADMK had created ill-will between the two parties, he said as far as the TMC was concerned ' it is our seat and unfortunately we did not get it ' .

Asked whether they intended taking up the issue with the AIADMK, Vasan said ' the issue is over now ' . On the party ' s stand on the by-election, the TMC chief said he would be able to give a clear answer only after meeting party leaders.

When pointed out that the AIADMK had already announced that they would be contesting in all the three constituencies in the forthcoming by-elections, he said the TMC had not received any direct information from the AIADMK that they were going to contest.

Speaking about his State-wide tour Vasan said that the ' party was intact and the cadres have spoken to him on many development issues that bother the party ' . He also said that he would be undertaking his third and fourth phase of his State-wide tour this month.