M K Stalin defends Rahul Gandhi for PM' pledge, seeks support

Chennai: DMK president M K Stalin strongly defended backing Rahul Gandhi as prime ministerial candidate, saying the Congress chief had the strength to dislodge the BJP regime at the Centre and deserved the wholesome support from all the secular forces in this task.. 

Amid murmurs in the opposition ranks expressing serious reservation over his proposal as many feared that could cause disunity in the emerging anti-BJP coalition, Stalin said it may have led to a debate among friendly parties. "In a democracy, solutions have emerged only from debates... these deliberations too will cause good outcomes," he said in a letter to his party cadre late Monday. 

Stressing that opposition unity was absolutely necessary to defeat the BJP in the 2019 polls, Stalin appealed to other opposition parties to "strengthen the hands of Rahul to guard democracy". His proposal was based on the rationale that projecting Rahul alone would be appropriate to bind all the secular forces. 

Noting that the Congress beat the saffron party in the recently concluded Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, the DMK chief said Rahul had the strength to defeat the Modi-led BJP. He had made his proposal keeping with the legacy of his father Karunanidhi, who was for taking ideas forward at the opportune and appropriate time, Stalin said.

He reiterated that the DMK under his father's leadership had taken the lead at the right time during previous Lok Sabha elections to propel the Congress towards victory. 

Stalin again accused the BJP government of shunning pluralism, pushing economy into a shambles, hurting communal harmony and being indifferent to Tamil Nadu.