Chennai: The Congress and DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) today (Jan8, 2004) formally clinched an electoral alliance to contest the coming Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress emissary and senior party leader Dr Manmohan Singh who held an hour-long parley with DMK Chief M Karunanidhi at the latter's residence announced.

Manmohan Singh said other modalities like seat sharing etc, would be discussed later. "We have now come together to fight the communal forces in the country," he said.

Asked whether MDMK (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), a known sympathiser of the banned LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), which was responsible for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, would also be part of the proposed Progressive Front, the Congress emissary said, "We do not want to go into the past".

Describing the talks with Singh as 'amicable and totally satisfactory', Karunanidhi said MDMK would be 'part and parcel' of the proposed front.

Asked whether Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), which was still continuing in NDA (National Democratic Alliance) at the Centre, would also be part of the new front, Karunanidhi said the PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss, had told him that he (Ramadoss) would hold talks with him on January 12.