DMK trying to capture power through "short cut," says Minister

Senior AIADMK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister D Jayakumar Wednesday alleged arch rival DMK was trying to win the by-elections expected in 20 assembly segments through shortcut, including through a secret pact with AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran.

DMK is "somehow or through short cut," trying to win the 20 seats when elections are held and "day dreaming," about capturing power through it, he said adding it would never happen.

Speaking to reporters here, Jayakumar alleged that DMK could even have a "secret pact," with Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam deputy general secretary Dhinakaran for the polls.

The 18 assembly seats represented by disqualified AIADMK MLAs loyal to Dhinakaran have fallen vacant after the Madras High Court recently upheld the Speaker's action and lifted a stay on notifying elections.

Two other seats fell vacant due to the demise of sitting MLAs -- DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi (Tiruvarur) and AIADMK's AK Bose (Tiruparankundram).

Asserting that the AIADMK government had been implementing all the welfare schemes initiated by late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, Jayakumar said such good work for the people will translate into votes for the AIADMK.

Referring to the Mekedatu dam issue, he asserted that the AIADMK had all along fought for the rights of farmers and the welfare of the state in river water issues.

He accused the DMK of betrayal of the state's interests be it Mullaperiyar dam or the Cauvery issues.

The assembly is slated to adopt a resolution on Thursday on the dam issue to urge the Centre to halt its nod to Karnataka for preparing a Detailed Project Report for building a reservoir across Cauvery at Mekedatu.

Meanwhile, Dhinakaran said elections to the 20 assembly segments were expected to be held alongwith Parliamentary polls next year.

"The ruling party will lose power if it did not win at least eight seats," he told reporters.

In the 234-member House with 20 vacancies, AIADMK has 115 MLAS (excluding the Speaker), DMK 88 and its allies (Congress 8 and IUML 1) nine and one is represented by Dhinakaran who won as an independent from RK Nagar last year.

"This is a weak (AIADMK) leadership..it is subservient to the Centre and you cannot expect big from it...people know it well and they desire a regime change through elections," Dhinakaran claimed.