DMK stresses on need of Tamil Nadu having governor 'of its own'

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Rajya Sabha MP M.K. Kanimozhi on Wednesday expressed disappointment over Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao holding dual charges of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, saying that it was difficult to understand why Chennai doesn't have a governor of its own till now.

"I don't know why such a big state like Tamil Nadu does not have a governor of its own. Why do we have to share our governor? It has been months together. I don't know what the idea behind this is. It is very difficult to understand," Kanimozhi told ANI.

This issue was raked up, when a delegation of the DMK had to fly to Mumbai to meet Rao demanding the removal of Tamil Nadu Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar whose house was raided by the Income Tax (I-T) Department on last Friday.

The I-T officials on Friday morning raided several premises belonging to Vijaya Baskar and his relatives in Chennai and other districts in the wake of complaints that he was involved in cash distribution to voters in R.K. Nagar constituency.

The I-T department also conducted searches on the premises of actor and All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi leader R. Sarathkumar, former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) legislator Chitlapakkam Rajendran and vice-chancellor of Dr MGR Medical University S. Geethalakshmi.

Following the I-T raids, the Election Commission of India (ECI) cancelled the by-polls in Chennai's R.K. Nagar constituency.

The by-elections in R.K. Nagar became necessary after the death of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, who represented it for two terms.