Party treasurer and AIADMK Parliamentary Party leader Sedapatti R Muthiah told said, ``our electoral alliance is there, it is intact, despite differences among the alliance partners on issues''.

``Differences of opinion among the partners cannot be construed as break of alliance,'' he said and denied reports that the AIADMK was snapping its ties with the PMK, the MDMK and the Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress (TRC).

Citing instances of difference of opinion, he said when the report of the Jain Commission, which probed the conspiracy aspect of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, came up for discussion in the Lok Sabha, except for the AIADMK and Janata Party, no other front partner chose to speak on it.

Muthiah charged that while MDMK general secretary Vaiko remained silent, TRC leader and Union Petroleum Minister Vazhapadi Ramamurthydid not attend the Lok Sabha when the subject came up for discussion.

PMK founder S Ramadoss, Vaiko and Ramamurthy were not available for comments on reports that the AIADMK was severing ties with the PMK, MDMK and TRC.

While Ramadoss was at his native town of Tindivanam, Vaiko was at Theni.

According to TRC sources, Ramamurthy has gone abroad.

Meanwhile, two Special Judges trying cases of corruption against AIADMK leader Jayalalitha today said they would go ahead with the trial, if the Supreme Court declined to stay the operation of yesterday's Madras High Court order upholding their appointment.

Judges S Sambandham and V Radhakrishnan made this clear at separate hearings pertaining to the Rs 66.65 crore `disproportionate assets case' and `Pleasant Stay Hotel case' respectively in which Jayalalitha is the prime accused.

A Division Bench of the high court, which had upheld the appointment of three special judges to try offences of corruption during the 1991-96 Jayalalitha regime, had stayedoperation of its order for eight days to enable Jayalalitha and others to move the Supreme Court.

When the cases came up for hearing today, her lawyers sought adjournments on the ground that they were planning to move the Supreme Court soon.

Sambandham adjourned the `wealth case' to November 17 and said summons would be issued to witnesses to appear for examination at the next hearing and trial would be conducted on a day-to-day basis.

He also made it clear that he would not entertain pleas under Section 205 CrPC to dispense with the appearance of the accused during the trial. However, in some cases, the court would allow petitions under Section 317 CrPC for dispensing with personal appearance for a particular day.

Besides Jayalalitha, her close friend Sasikala Natarajan, the AIADMK supremo's disowned foster son V N Sudhakaran and J Elavarasi, a relative of Sasikala, are those accused in the case pertaining to alleged accumulation of wealth by Jayalalitha while she was chief minister.

In the `hotel'case, Jayalalitha has been charged with misusing her office to grant illegal exemption from building rules in favour of a hotel at Kodaikanal. Besides Jayalalitha, former local administration minister T M Selvaganapathy and three others have been arraigned in the case.

Meanwhile, another special judge P Anbazhagan, also trying cases of corruption during AIADMK regime, today allowed a petition moved by the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption for permission to file additional documents in the Rs 1.20 crore scam relating to the supply of chappals to school children under the `MGR noon meal scheme'.

Former AIADMK ministers Indira Kumari, V R Nedunchezhian and P Eswaramoorthy and 18 others have been accused in the case.