With her stock rising following the support of two minor parties, the re-election of DMK Rajya Sabha member Kaniomoizhi appeared bright on Wednesday. The DMK patriarch’s daughter is tied down with the DMDK’s candidate A R Elangovan in the race for the Upper House of Parliament. With both the parties courting the support of the Congress, which has five legislators, the Grand Old Party has become the much sought after bride in this contest, in which the election of four AIADMK nominees and that of CPI veteran D Raja has become certain.
The DMK parliamentary party leader T R Baalu called on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at New Delhi earlier in the day and requested her party’s support for Kanimozhi. Meanwhile, the Islamic outfit, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK), considered as an ally of the ruling AIADMK, sprang a surprise by pledging its support to the DMK in the RS elections. MMK leader M H Jawahirullah called on the DMK chief at the DMK headquarters and assured his party’s support to Kanimozhi.
Jawahirullah said since the four from the AIADMK stable and CPI’s candidate already had the required number of MLAs to get elected, the MMK did not wish to waste its two votes.
Asked whether the MMK would not have any alliance with the AIADMK in future, he said “We were with the AIADMK in 2011 Assembly elections but were not with them in any election since then - local body elections and cooperative elections.” To a query as to whether the MMK had snapped ties with the AIADMK, he was evasive: “As far as this RS elections are concerned, we will vote for the DMK.”
Puthiya Thamizhagam, of K Krishnasamy has offered to meet DMK president M Karunanidhi on June 20. While a DMK leader confirmed this, Krishnasamy could not be reached.
“That is the indication. Krishnasamy has said he is coming to meet Kalaignar tomorrow to declare like Jawahirullah that he will support our candidate. We are confident on the basis of current numbers that our candidate will win, “ a DMK leader said.