Introspect why you lost polls, says Cong after DMK leaders target Rahul Gandhi

THe united states congress on tues responded to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)’s assail on Rahul mrs. Gandhi for allying with the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), asking Tamil Nadu’s briny opposition party to introspect and identify the reasons for its defeat in the assembly polls.S Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan, the two Congress ministers in the TVK-led government, maintained that it was their duty to stand by the TVK, which remains firm on its secular ideology. “The DMK is crossing all boundaries and hurling abuses at the Congress and its leaders. It is criticising us, claiming that Congress won [five seats in the 234-member House] only because of the DMK and yet supported the TVK,” Kumar and Viswanathan said in a statement.The statement came a day after DMK’s mouthpiece ‘Murasoli’ ridiculed Gandhi, asking whether it was not shameful for him to use all kinds of “underhand tactics” to prevent the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc from coming to power in states, and then seek their support for the Lok Sabha polls.‘Murasoli’ accused Congress of backstabbing the DMK with Gandhi’s blessings and mocked at him for “lecturing unity” at the INDIA bloc meeting this month.Kumar and Viswanathan said the TVK formed the government with the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which contested the polls as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance. “This demonstrates the firm stance of the chief minister C Joseph Vijay, on principles such as democracy, social justice, secularism, and state rights.”The two ministers said the DMK has been unable to win a single election without an alliance, but never shared power with its allies. “In 2006, the DMK did not even touch the 100-seat mark. It formed the government solely due to the Congress. Yet, the DMK did not accommodate the Congress in the cabinet.”The two noted the TVK won 108 seats but gave two ministerial portfolios to the Congress, one each to the VCK and the IUML, which have two lawmakers each. “Had both communist parties wished to join the cabinet, they too would have received one ministerial portfolio each.”The Congress leaders said they supported the TVK to prevent the BJP from attempting to rule Tamil Nadu indirectly. “For this action, the DMK has been criticising the Congress and Rahul Gandhi.”The two asked the DMK to identify the reasons for its defeat instead of criticising the Congress. “First, find out why the minority communities and the Scheduled Caste communities did not vote for the DMK. Instead of doing that, if you keep blaming alliance parties and making vulgar criticisms, a situation will arise where the DMK can never return to power.”The Congress asked the DMK to accept the people’s verdict and work as a responsible party. “Otherwise, in the future, they will lose even their opposition status. Those who forget their ground reality in politics and are arrogant can never escape the punishment meted out by the people.”DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai reacted to the statement, saying it is cynical for the Congress to lecture them on how to do the duty of an opposition party. “...we have been doing [that] so well for the last 12 years at the national level.”Saravanan called the Congress leaders a “bunch of backstabbers” and said they have no moral right to question the DMK. “...let them not speak about weakening the opposition’s unity, which has been the sole trait of Rahul Gandhi.”Actor-turned-politician Vijay’s newly formed TVK emerged as the single-largest party in Tamil Nadu with 108 seats, falling short of the 118-seat majority mark in the 234-member assembly. It was the most impressive debut in Tamil Nadu since MG Ramachandran’s in 1977. Vijay became the first non-DMK and non-All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief minister since Tamil Nadu was formed in 1967.