Not scared at all, just sought clarification from EC, says Stalin

Stalin, talking to reporters at Chennai airport, said “We are not scared to face the election. Dhinakaran has been making such allegations. He is frightened by the CBI, ED, I-T and other cases. We have only sought clarification from the EC.”

“The EC says there is no bar in distributing relief to flood affected people in Tiruvarur, but the Governor’s address says the Rs 1,000 would be distributed as Pongal gift everywhere except Tiruvarur due to election code of conduct. There is a contradiction. We only want the EC to clarify this. Our representative former MP AKS Vijayan has voiced this view in the all-party meeting held at Tiruvarur on Saturday,” he added.

“Tiruvarur is Thalaivar Kalaignar’s soil. He won there twice.  Why should we be scared?” asked Stalin, who penned a letter to the cadre, seeking to wrest control of Tiruvarur seat vacated by the late leader M Karunanidhi.

Stalin’s assertion comes a day after he announced district secretary Poondi Kalaivanan as the candidate for Tiruvarur seat.  Though the DMK chief has fielded a prominent face and denied speculation about his party trying to defer the election, the principal opposition party was understood to have made moves to get the bypoll rescinded. There was no dearth in rumours suggesting that the DMK has engaged its allies to move the Supreme Court to get the bypoll rescinded.

Pertinently, in his first reaction after the EC announced Tiruvarur bypoll  schedule, Stalin had raised doubts over the EC announcing it only for Tiruvarur instead of all the 20 vacant seats.