Putting up a brave face after his party’s sustained efforts to rope in the DMDK into its alliance failed, DMK Treasurer MK Stalin on Friday said the decision of the Vijayakant-led party to go it alone was not a setback for his party.

“Definitely, it is not a setback for us,” Stalin told reporters here replying to a question.

Stating that his party chief M Karunanidhi had extended an invite to DMDK several times as it would be “good” (to take on the ruling AIADMK), he said, however, “It is their right to accept or decline the invite.”

Ending weeks of suspense, the DMDK had on Thursday decided to fight the elections on its own go it alone in the May 16 Assembly polls, which could result in a six-cornered contest, the others being the AIADMK, the DMK-Congress combine, the BJP, the four-party bloc PWF and the PMK.

However, DMDK leader and Vijaykant’s wife Premalatha said like-minded parties that seek an alternative to both the AIADMK and DMK were welcome to hold talks with the party chief.

The invite is seen as an olive branch to both the BJP and PWF, provided they choose to accept the primacy of DMDK as the senior partner.

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