TN Cong MP joins issue with Stalin over power-share demand, asks how it could be 'conspiracy'

Joining issue with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Congress MP Manickam Tagore, a pretty vocal proponent of ''share-power with us'' mantra, on Thursday wondered how that demand could be termed a ''conspiracy''. Strongly defending his party's demand, Tagore, without referring to Stalin's remark against sharing power, asked: ''How is it that seeking, in a spirit of friendship, a role (a share) in work to serve the people could be termed as conspiracy.'' The Congress leader posted the terse one line message on social media. The MP from Virudhunagar constituency in southern Tamil Nadu also used a 'thinking face' emoji, and his reaction to the Chief Minister hints that the grand old party may not abandon the idea despite the DMK chief himself making it clear that there will be no share in power. Amid some apparent strains in ties with the Congress over power-sharing, ruling DMK president and CM Stalin on February 11 asserted that the alliance was ''intact,'' but firmly ruled out accommodating allies in the cabinet. The CM had said: ''We also know that it will not work in TN; they (Congress) know it too. It is a problem created by some people. They are deliberately conspiring to see if there will be a rift in the alliance. We are not worried about it. He (Rahul Gandhi) is not worried either.'' On January 11, senior DMK leader and State Minister I Periyasamy had asserted that Stalin is firm on the stand against sharing power with allies.