lok-sabha-elections

Updated: May 14, 2019 19:38 IST

DMK president MK Stalin on Tuesday rubbished the claims of Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundarrajan who claimed that the Dravidian major was in talks with the saffron party and said he would quit politics if proved otherwise.

“If Tamilisai Soundarrajan or Narendra Modi, whom she wants to become Prime Minister again prove that I am talking to them for an alliance with the BJP, I’m prepared to quit politics. If they fail to prove it, will they renounce politics?” the DMK president challenged in a hard hitting statement to the media.

“It is unfortunate and painful that Tamilisai, hailing from a family with a political legacy, has denigrated herself to this level and allowed to be a scapegoat by the self seeking BJP leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others. This is part of the dirty tricks of the BJP,” the statement read.

“I was the first to endorse Congress President Rahul Gandhi for Prime Ministership and rip apart Modi as a ‘fascist, sadist and autocrat’ throughout the poll campaign to prevent by all means his return to power,” Stalin said.

He suspects this was a ploy by the BJP to prevent the votes of the minorities for the DMK in the crucial bypoll to the four assembly segments on May 19 and to blunt the DMK’s campaign projecting Rahul for PM. “For no reason, they are trying to drag the DMK,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Tamilisai Soundarrajan dropped a bombshell claiming that the DMK was in talks with the BJP.

“The hunger and thirst for office is driving Stalin to reach out to Modi. First, it was Rahul, then KCR and now it is Modi. Everyone knows the DMK changes colours. To each one, he is showing a different colour. They are speaking through someone and are establishing connection,” she said and laughed heartily at the media interaction in Thoothukudi.

“It is true,” she affirmed when asked whether the DMK was in touch with the BJP for a post-poll tie-up. However, she did not elaborate.

“Post-KCR meeting, why Stalin was not firm in endorsing Rahul Gandhi for Prime Ministership?” Soundarrajan asked.

Also read: Did Stalin snub KCR’s Federal Front pitch? Just a ‘courtesy call’, says DMK

She claimed that the BJP would retain power at the Centre on its own and that the saffron party is not worried over the Stalin-KCR meeting. “Emergence of any number of fronts would only benefit the BJP,” she asserted.

Soundarrajan who is the BJP candidate from the southern coastal constituency of Thoothukudi is up against the DMK’s Kanimozhi.

The Congress has dismissed Soundarrajan’s claim as an ‘unadulterated lie’ which is proof of the BJP being rattled at the electoral rout.

“There is not even an iota of truth in Tamilisai’s unfounded claim. The DMK is firmly with the Congress and we have no doubt about it. This betrays the saffron party’s mortal fear of facing the prospect of a rout in the LS poll. Hence, it is attempting to sow the seeds of confusion in the opposition camp. Such dirty tricks would not succeed as Stalin is committed to secularism and pluralism,” TNCC president KS Alagiri told the media.

But the AIADMK latched on to Soundarrajan’s claim to target the DMK. It said there was nothing surprising in the DMK talking to KCR and the saffron party, even while remaining in the alliance with the Congress. AIADMK veteran and Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister Jayakumar led the charge against the DMK on Monday claiming that the Dravidian major was reaching out to the BJP with a bargain for five plum ministerial berths at the Centre. He reiterated it on Tuesday as well.

“Only Stalin is capable of sailing in three boats at the same time. While being in alliance with the Congress, he is hosting Chandrasekhar Rao and holding parleys with the BJP. It has become crystal clear to Stalin that the the election results will be in favour of the AIADMK in the state and the BJP at the Centre. Hence, he is in talks with the BJP to secure five ministerial berths at the Centre,” Jayakumar told the media.