EVKS plays down DMK-Congress disharmony over poll defeat

“Failure at the hustings will invite criticism of different kinds. We were in DMK alliance. So were they (in ours). Both parties are responsible for the defeat. To blame each other for the poll debacle will be inappropriate,” Elangovan told media persons at the party’s state headquarters Sathyamurthy Bhavan after naming senior MLA from Karaikudi KR Ramasamy as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and Vilavancode MLA Vijayadharani as the party whip in the Assembly (as reported by DT Next on Monday). 

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president was responding to a specific query about information trickling out of Anna Arivalyam that allies had pulled the DMK down in the just concluded poll. 

However, a mercurial Elangovan, who recalled Karunanidhi’s statement that lack of cooperation of some DMK men might have contributed to Congress failure, quickly remarked that the DMK-Congress should have definitely won. 

“Money splashed on voters by the AIADMK and Prime minister Narendra Modi greeting Jayalalithaa at 10 am (on the day of counting of votes) were the main reasons for the DMK-Congress alliance defeat,” the TNCC chief said, who incidentally, began the presser on Monday with an opening statement that he does not want to blame anyone. 

Parrying further queries regarding the discord between the DMK and the Congress for the poll setback, Elangovan said that they would function as a responsible opposition party along with DMK in the Assembly. 

Reacting to another query about the hike in private milk price in the state, Elangovan recalled AIADMK’s poll promise and said the ruling party should come forward to fulfil its promise.