Will announce candidate for Tiruvarur on Jan 4: MK Stalin

Chennai: The suspense on whether DMK chief M. K. Stalin will give up his Kolathur seat in the city to contest from the Tiruvarur Assembly constituency nurtured by his father and late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, will end on Jan. 4 evening when the DMK will formally announce its candidate.

“We will announce the party candidate on Jan. 4 evening, then you will know whether I or Duraimurugan (party treasurer) or T.R. Baalu (headquarters secretary) will contest,” Stalin said on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters after chairing his party MLAs meeting at Anna Arivalayam - DMK state headquarters here, he said the legislators’ meet discussed several issues to be raised during the ongoing Assembly session.

On the bypoll to Thiruvurar constituency, he said, the DMK would receive applications till Thursday evening and the candidate would be declared on Friday evening between 5 and 6 pm.

The Tiruvarur seat fell vacant following the demise of late chief minister and DMK stalwart M. Karunanidhi on Aug. 7. On Monday, the Election Commission announced that the by-elections would be held on Jan. 28 and counting of votes would be taken up on Jan. 31.

Rahul has spoken the truth on Rafale in Parliament:  

Stalin supported Congress president Rahul Gandhi in the latter’s scathing attack on the BJP-led government at the Centre over the Rafale deal on the purchase of 36 multi-role fighter aircraft, in the Parliament, and said the Congress president has spoken the truth.

Replying to reporter’s query after chairing the party legislators’ meeting at Anna Arivalayam, Mr. Stalin said “Rahul Gandhi has spoken the truth in Parliament.”

There was high drama in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday with Rahul lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deal and alleged that he lacked the “guts” to face Parliament and “was hiding in his room.”