Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 9 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday slammed TVK Chief Vijay's claim that real Congress cadres, who are striving hard to save the secular fabric, are in support of his party.
Rebutting the statement, Shivakumar clarified that the Indian National Congress stands firmly with the DMK, dismissing any suggestion that grassroots workers have aligned with TVK.
"Vijay is an immature politician. He doesn't know maturity. I think he might have that TMC with him, that's all. The Indian National Congress is not with him. He might have TMC with him. The Indian National Congress is with DMK...The alliance will have a two-thirds majority..." said Shivakumar.
Earlier, TVK Chief and candidate from Tiruchirappalli East and Perambur Assembly Constituency, Vijay, called the DMK-led bloc a "cash box alliance" and recognised the BJP-AIADMK alliance as synonymous.
Addressing a public meeting in Tirunelveli ahead of the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly polls, the TVK chief alleged that both the DMK and the BJP blocs aim to prevent him from coming to power, stating that he has exposed "many corrupt practices they were involved in."
"The DMK alliance and the BJP alliance may appear separate on the outside. But in reality, if you look within, both are the same. Their single objective is to ensure that Vijay does not come forward to work for you, does not stand with you. Ever since I entered politics, I have exposed the many corrupt practices they were involved in. As a result, they have been unable to continue as before. That is why they are angry with me today. All their political calculations and alliance arithmetic have been buried," he said.
"Even the so-called "cash-box alliance" that relied on money power has now collapsed. Today, there is even doubt whether members within the alliance will vote for one another. That is the condition of the DMK alliance. The situation in the BJP-led alliance is even worse. That is why both these alliances are angry with me, and there is a reason for that anger," he added.
Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, covering a total of 234 constituencies in the state. Counting is scheduled for May 4.
Vijay, who is making an electoral debut with his party, will look to turn the polls into a three-way contest among the ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the NDA.
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