Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko on Tuesday urged party cadre not to attack any political party or target any individual in the election campaign and instead make a fervent appeal to the people to give the party a chance to serve Tamil Nadu and the nation.
Addressing district secretaries ahead of announcing constituencies, candidates and campaign schedule for the Lok Sabha election here, Mr. Vaiko said the MDMK was suffering a severe dearth of funds compared to other parties. “I have made it clear that the party would not be in a position to meet the expenses of workers involved in election work. We lack financial power. But strength of this party has always been the relentless work of committed cadres. We will not attack any party or individual…the MDMK will only underscore the need for a politics of honesty and corruption-free governance,” he told The Hindu .
Mr. Vaiko said party cadres were told to showcase the achievements of the MDMK on various fronts. “I have information that besides political groups, some internal and external forces are also trying to defeat the MDMK. The cadres have been told to highlight the need to erase the tears of Eelam Tamils in Sri Lanka. The BJP will emerge as the single largest party and have sufficient numbers to form the Government,” Mr. Vaiko said.
MDMK presidium chairman ‘Tirupur’ S. Duraisamy said the party should be part of the government at the Centre after elections. Mr. Vaiko is expected to announce the party candidates and launch campaign this week. The MDMK was among the first parties to join the BJP-led alliance in Tamil Nadu. Mr. Vaiko called on the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi when he visited the city on February 9. Though the party was aspiring to contest in nine Lok Sabha constituencies, it settled for seven.
