Chennai, Jan 28: The Congress today dismissed reports of difficulties in its electoral alliance with the DMK, saying the latter's allocation of the Pondicherry Lok Sabha seat to the PMK was a 'minor issue'. ''There is no conflict between the congress and the DMK in clinching an alliance,'' AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters here before leaving for Andhra Pradesh. Asked about resentment among the party workers over the issue, he said ''it's a minor thing...Whenever we have alliance, such small things do arise here and there...That's not going to come in the way of our party's alliance with the DMK.'' The senior Congress leader said the party had started the seat-sharing process in different parts of the country, including Tamil Nadu.
Referring to reports of Congress President Sonia Gandhi visiting the state, he said no dates had been fixed so far in this regard.
Mr Azad said the BJP would be voted out of power this time. ''Nobody is shining. The shining image of the country which they (BJP) are trying to project will not work. Actually the shining is not seen elsewhere,'' he added.

On the BJP's oft-repeated propaganda against Mrs Gandhi, Mr Azad said, ''The more propaganda they make, the more popular she will become.''


''That shows the frustation of the BJP. If they are so sure of winning the elections, why should they be bothered about Mrs Gandhi ...That means they are scared of her and her children. They are a frustrated lot. That's why they are making a hue and cry,'' he added.

Bureau Report