The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Join govt., Chidambaram tells DMK

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Join govt., Chidambaram tells DMK

By Our Staff Reporter

KARAIKUDI, MAY 13. The victorious Congress candidate from Sivaganga, P. Chidambaram, today appealed to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to join the government at the Centre to serve the people of Tamil Nadu, who have given a "decisive mandate against Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's misrule for the last three years."

He said the invitation was also to the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), which should be part of the ruling coalition.

A beaming Mr. Chidambaram was talking to The Hindu after getting the election certificate from J. Radhakrishnan, returning officer of the constituency here. He distributed sweets to hundreds of supporters and cadres of the Democratic Progressive Alliance.

The formidable alliance and a wave of anger against the `misrule' of the AIADMK were the main reasons for the total rout of the AIADMK alliance in all 40 constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, he said. "The `weak' candidature of the AIADMK's S.P. Karuppiah ``also helped me win by a big margin of over 1,60,000 votes."

Thanking the people of Tamil Nadu for the clear mandate, Mr. Chidambaram said the Congress and other alliance parties would strive for the State's development.

He said he would concentrate on the development of villages on the basis of the panchayat raj system and fulfil the promises given to people of the constituency.

Mr. Chidambaram expressed confidence that the Congress would form the Government with the help of the Communist parties.

"There will not be any problem for the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, to head the coalition government with like-minded secular parties, as almost all the Opposition parties have already accepted Ms. Gandhi for the country's top post. We (DPA) are very clear in our stand that we will accept the candidature of Ms. Gandhi."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu