CHENNAI/THOOTHUKUDI: Unfazed by the ruling AIADMK calling for applications from party aspirants for the Local Bodies polls in Tamil Nadu though no formal notification has yet been issued, the DMK president M K Stalin on Monday asserted that his party "is equally keen and ready" to jump into the electoral fray.
"We are ready to face the Local Bodies elections at anytime," Stalin told reporters here after a meeting of the DMK district secretaries, adding, today's meeting discussed the impending elections to panchayats and nagarpalika bodies in detail. The DMK's alliance with the Congress and other parties will continue for the Local Bodies polls also, he made clear to a query.
Stating that DMK has already commenced the preparatory works, Stalin said party aspirants for the Local Bodies polls at various levels could submit their applications at the respective district headquarters offices of the DMK between November 14 and November 20.
Mr. Stalin would symbolically kick-start the party's campaign in Dharmapuri on Saturday, November 16, by explaining the DMK general council's resolutions to the people, with other senior leaders at different places, Durai Murugan in Chennai South, V. P. Duraiswamy in Villupuram, Tiruchy N Siva in Tirunelveli, A Raja in Virdhunagar, Ms. Kanimozhi in Kancheepuram and T K S Elangovan in Nagapattinam.
Earlier, the DMK district secretaries meeting resolved that the party would hold statewide public meetings on November 16 to explain the 20 resolutions adopted by the general council here on Sunday. Apart from this, the district secretaries decided to do door-to-door campaigning, distribute handbills on the issues.
Meanwhile, the DMK MP Ms. Kanimozhi told reporters in Thoothukudi that Mr. Stalin's remarks at the general council meeting that he would have to be 'dictatorial' to ensure the growth of the DMK, should not be misinterpreted. She said Stalin uttered those words only to mean that he would take quick and stern decisions for the betterment of the DMK. "So, it is not fair on your part to misinterpret the statement for your convenience," Kanimozhi said.
