VILLUPURAM: Speaking at a meeting with DMDK party members in Vikravandi, Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam on Wednesday said that DMK president MK Stalin would not have attained the political status that he is enjoying now, if only Vijayakanth was in a good health.The meeting, led by former MLA L Vengatesan, discussed the campaigning for Vikravandi by-election. Minister C Ve Shanmugam, who is also the AIADMK by-election in-charge of the constituency, took part as the chief guest.
“The date for elections to the local bodies will be announced within the first week of October. Either me or the chief minister or even the god can not stop it,” he asserted.The minister said that though leaders become MPs and MLAs, party members couldn’t be able to become even a panchayat councillor. “If party cadres wanted to become a panchayat union president or district councillor, they has to work hard for this by-election,” C Ve Shanmugam said.
The minister said that the AIADMK alliance rule in Tamil Nadu was sustaining for the eighth year because of the strong basement formed in 2011 with the support of DMDK. “We never forgot that. Even when the alliance broke in the past, we never criticised the DMDK leader personally or in an uncivilized manner,” he said.
“Vijayakanth is a hardworker and we have always kept him in high regard. If only he was now in a good health, Tamil Nadu politics would have taken a different turn. Stalin (DMK president), who is not able to speak even a single sentence without the support of written material, might have not got attained the political status that he is enjoying now. We know the strength of DMDK and never underestimate the party. But, you should realise your strength as this election is last chance for us,” said the minister.
Losing in this bypoll would also reflect in local body and Assembly elections, Shanmugam warned.