Not surprised at AIADMK blaming oppositionn for bypoll debacle: DMDK prez Vijayakanth

Chennai: Emphasising that he was not surprised at the AIADMK blaming the opposition DMK for its debacle in the RK Nagar byelection, DMDK president Vijayakanth said it is “usual for the ruling AIADMK to blame the major opposition party for its defeat in the by-election”. “It is usual charge by the AIADMK to point fingers at the DMK. Now it has blamed the opposition party for its debacle in the RK Nagar constituency”, he said. Speaking to reporters after participating in the Christmas celebrations organised by his party at a church at Saidapet here on Monday, he said, the DMDK would take a call regarding its stand on the civic bodies elections once the dates were announced.

He was reacting to a question on his party's strategy for the local body elections in Tamil Nadu. The actor-turned-politician, who was accompanied by his wife Premalatha and other senior leaders of the party, took part in Christmas celebrations, distributing gifts to the people. The DMDK was among the parties that had abstained from contesting the by-election while the Left parties, VCK, MDMK and the Congress supported DMK's N. Marudhu Ganesh. TTV Dhinakaran, who contested as an independent, emerged as the dark horse upsetting the fortunes of the ruling AIADMK which had fielded veteran E. Madhusudhanan.