Chennai, July 19: Cracks appeared in the fledgling United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) with the AIADMK, its key constituent, reportedly voting in favour of the NDA-backed Independent Candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.

AIADMK's ally the Marumalarchi DMK also followed suit. The UNPA had earlier announced a boycott of the Presidential elections in which Congress-led UPA-backed Candidate Pratibha Patil was pitted against Mr Shekhawat.

Speaking to UNI on condition of anonymity, an AIADMK MLA confirmed they had voted. Another AIADMK MLA said 'what for we have come here?' when asked if they had cast ballots in the Presidential elections underway at the Secretariat.

The UNPA, a conclave of eight regional parties, after making a vain bid to muster support for a second term for President A P J Abdul Kalam, decided to abstain from voting in the polls.

Rumours were rife that differences had reportedly cropped up among the UNPA partners and the AIADMK might ask its MLAs to vote in Mr Shekhawat's favour. The party had a strength of 60 MLAs in the State Assembly and its ally the MDMK, six.

AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa had asked her party MLAs to be present at the State Secretariat this morning at 0900 hrs, an hour before the polling was set to commence, leading to speculation. Initially, it was not clear if they would participate in the elections. Later, they arrived in batches and cast the ballots. Reacting to AIADMK's voting in Presidential elections, CPI (M) Leader Govindasamy said the party had unilaterally taken the decison to vote contrary to the decision taken at the recent UNPA meeting.

They openly announced they would boycott the poll. Its unilateral decision to vote went against the UNPA's decision.

It shows there is a split in the UNPA besides the communal colours of the AIADMK.


UNI