Chennai, Dec 13 (IANS) The DMK, a part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) central government, would encourage coming together of secular parties in Tamil Nadu to fight the next Lok Sabha polls, party president M.Karunanidhi said here Thursday.

Answering a question after the party’s executive committee meeting here, Karunanidhi said his party would encourage formation of a strong alliance of secular parties in the state, along with those parties that are not currently in alliance with it, to fight the 2014 general elections.
Asked whether the party would secure additional power supply to Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi said: “The action to bring power from one state to another should have been taken earlier. It cannot be done immediately.”
Asked whether the party would urge the central government to give additional power supply to Tamil nadu, he said the DMK would do anything for the welfare of the people of the state.
At its executive committee meeting, the DMK accused the ruling AIADMK government of disinterest in tackling the acute power shortage in the state and decided to hold a peaceful state wide protest Dec 18.
Citing reports of power generation getting stalled due to the absence of generators and coal and the equipment failures, the DMK said the news shows the disinterest of the government in sorting out the power woes of the state.
The party also urged the AIADMK government to prevent entry of the US retail chain Wal-Mart in any form in the state and also take action on complaints against the ruling partymen and police officials.