The DMK has given its ally, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), six seats to contest on its Rising Sun symbol. MDMK leader Vaiko signed the agreement with DMK president M.K. Stalin on Saturday.
With this, the MDMK will, for the first time, contest in an Assembly election as part of the DMK-led front. Coming out of the DMK headquarters, Mr. Vaiko, who created the MDMK after he quit the DMK in 1994, told journalists that the decision to contest on the DMK symbol was due to a “practical necessity”.
A symbol of its own
Mr. Vaiko reasoned that a party needs to contest in 12 Assembly constituencies if it requires a symbol of its own and it needs to garner 5% of the votes.
With six seats, the MDMK might be forced to contest on six different symbols. With not much time left for campaigning, it was decided to contest on the DMK symbol to avoid unnecessary complications, he said.
Asked whether he would undertake a State-wide campaign for the DMK, Mr. Vaiko said he would certainly do so.
Sanathana Hindutva forces were making a massive effort to establish themselves in Tamil Nadu, the land of Periyar and Anna. They were trying to impose not only Hindi and Sanskrit but also Sanathana dharma, he said. In the past, thousands had suffered to protect the Dravidian movement. Their efforts should not go waste, and there was a necessity to counter and defeat the BJP’s slaves, he said.
Stand united
Furthermore, when DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi was in hospital, he visited him along with Mr. Stalin, Mr. Vaiko said.
“I promised to stand by brother Stalin as I stood by Kalaignar,” he recalled, adding that he had been campaigning since then for the DMK.
Asked whether it was a challenge to contest as part of the DMK-led front for the first time, Mr. Vaiko said, “He was happy.”
Questioned how he viewed Mr. Stalin as a chief ministerial candidate, he said the DMK president was an efficient legislator who had all the qualifications to be a Chief Minister.
