Chennai, Apr 10:
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday dismissed claims that the “real Congress” is backing a newly formed political outfit and reiterated that the entire INC stands with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin.
At an election rally in Maraimalai Nagar, a suburb here, ahead of the Assembly polls, Shivakumar, alongside Stalin, accused the new political entrant of “misleading the public”. Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on April 23 for 234 constituencies.
The remarks come in the backdrop of a high-decibel campaign by actor-turned-politician Vijay and his party, TVK, in Tirunelveli on April 8. During his address, Vijay had claimed that while the DMK had “bought some in Congress with lakhs and crores”, the “real Congress” was with him.
Shivakumar clarified that the Congress stands firmly and exclusively with the DMK-led front under Stalin’s leadership.
“Some new parties that have come here are claiming the support of a few Congress members. You need not worry. They are misleading the people. The Indian National Congress, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, stands united with Stalin ji,” he said.
Shivakumar further alleged that the BJP was “attempting to undermine the state out of jealousy” over the DMK government’s performance.
He asserted that the opposition’s attempts would fail and predicted that the DMK-led alliance would return to power with a two-thirds majority.