The DMK cadre on Saturday rooted for the party to contest the upcoming Parliament elections on its own, rather than leaving the crucial seat to its ally, the Congress. This came at a time when dominant factions within the Congress were eyeing the key constituency. It is learnt that Union Finance minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram and Shipping minister G K Vasan had been vying to contest from Tiruchy.
Most of the functionaries who addressed the party’s first parliamentary poll preparations meeting commencing from Tiruchy, asserted that the party should contest from the seat on its own, which was allocated to the Congress and Tamil Maanila Congress for the past three decades.
Remaining non-committal to the party workers’ demand, treasurer M K Stalin appealed to the party cadre to work hard without worrying about the final seat allocation. “The party will decide the seats when the time is ripe,” he said. Stalin also said that since 1970, the party had maintained a “unique connection” with the people of Tiruchy. Recalling various meetings held in the city, especially the second state conference of the youth wing which became a turning point for the party.
DMK’s Rajya Sabha floor leader N Siva said, “The state parties have a crucial role in the centre as coalition governments are unavoidable. National parties would no longer be able to sustain without the support of regional parties,” he said.