Vijayakanth slams DMK chief for aspiring to be CM at 92

Kulithalai (TN), Apr 20: In a hard hitting broadside against DMK president Karunandihi, DMDK chief Vijayakanth today mocked at him for aspiring to be Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister for the sixth time. Stating that people of Kulithalai are good, he said they had elected Karunanidhi decades ago with hopes.

Karunanidhi was first elected from here in 1957. "Kulithalai has a history and this place was the springboard of Kalaignar (as Karunanidhi is referred to) and you elected him as you believed him to be good," he said.

He then made a remark and added, "What can be done?" Mocking the nonagenarian DMK leader, "See, he wants to be Chief Minister for the sixth time even at this age (92)... see his desire."

Alleging that illegal sand mining was rampant in the area, he said, "You know who is behind it" and referred to the name of an opposition party leader. Attacking AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa, he said though the ruling party had "money power", the DMDK-PWF combine had the support of people with "strong hearts".

"This is not an election. This is a war between the good and bad. We six parties (DMDK, MDMK, CPI(M), CPI, VCK, TMC) represent the good and the other two parties (AIADMK and DMK) represent bad," he said.

He also said this was a "war between dharma and adharma" and urged the people to support the DMDK-PWF combine. "For me, cadres are important and they are my strength. They and I will forgive enemies, but not betrayers," he said in an apparent reference to rebel DMDK leaders who were allotted three constituencies by the DMK.

Former DMDK functionaries led by V C Chandrakumar were expelled from the party after they nudged the leadership to ally with DMK. They later founded the "Makkal DMDK," and were given seats by DMK. In an election meeting in Bodinayakanur, Vijayakanth's wife Premalatha said the DMDK-PWF front is now the prime contender for power and people have "accepted" the combine to ensure the development for Tamil Nadu.

Once the DMDK-led front is voted to power, "sand mining which is (allegedly) rampant will be ended", she said. The party, meanwhile, announced a change of candidate in Kanchipuram constituency replacing Shanmugasundaram with C Ekambaram.

PTI