Power-hungry DMK will lose oppn tag too: S Rajesh Kumar

CHENNAI: Congress Legislature Party leader and Tourism Minister S Rajesh Kumar, along with Higher Education Minister P Viswanathan, on Tuesday criticised the DMK for allegedly refusing to accept the verdict of the recently concluded elections and warned that the party could lose even its opposition status if it failed to introspect.

In a joint statement, the ministers said recent speeches and writings by DMK leaders suggested the party had not come to terms with the electoral outcome. Citing former Chief Minister CN Annadurai's famous remark that "the people's verdict is the verdict of God," they urged the DMK to respect the mandate and function as a responsible opposition.

The Congress leaders highlighted the rise of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), noting that the party had won 108 Assembly seats within 27 months of its formation. They described the result as a historic achievement and said the verdict reflected public support for TVK leader and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.

They pointed out that despite having the numbers to form a government with AIADMK support, TVK chose to establish an administration backed by Congress and other parties from the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, including the VCK, CPM, CPI and IUML. According to them, the move demonstrated TVK's commitment to secularism, social justice, federalism and state rights.

Rajesh Kumar and Viswanathan also defended Congress's decision to support the TVK government, saying it was necessary to prevent any direct or indirect BJP influence in Tamil Nadu. They accused the DMK of attacking Congress despite frequently advocating coalition politics and federalism.

Praising the new government's power-sharing model, they noted that Congress, with five MLAs, had received two ministerial berths, while the VCK and IUML had each been given one. They described this as a genuine example of coalition governance.

The ministers further alleged that attempts had been made by the DMK and AIADMK to prevent TVK from forming the government, but said secular parties remained united. They also criticised DMK leaders and the party's newspaper, Murasoli, for targeting Congress and Rahul Gandhi.

Urging the DMK to analyse the reasons for its defeat, they said the party should focus on understanding voter concerns rather than blaming former allies, warning that continued attacks could further erode its support base.