I will be CM, asserts M Karunanidhi

Chennai: Seeking to dispel any impression that he would hand over the mantle to his son, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi on Saturday asserted that he would assume office as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for the sixth term if his party wins May 16 Assembly elections.

In interviews to Puthiya Thalaimurai and NewsX, broadcast on Saturday, the DMK chief exuded confidence that the Dravidian party would win enough seats in the election to form the government on its own, without having to depend on alliance partners like the Congress.

“I have to become the Chief Minister. If I assume office, I will work for people of Tamil Nadu and do all the good things that I have done in my earlier tenures. I will protect people of Tamil Nadu,” he told during the interviews.

To a question on the role DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin would play in the next government, Karunanidhi said both Stalin and himself entered politics only to serve people and not hoping to assume positions.

“Who is talking of that (family fight)? If someone talks of that then they are people who don’t have any dignity or integrity in politics,” he said when asked about the talk that “issues within the family” would be sorted out after the elections.
He also ridiculed the DMDK-PWA alliance,  “I don’t see it (Third Front) as a challenge (to DMK),” Mr Karunanidhi said.

Asked about the painful experience in his political life, the former Chief Minister said: “Ms Jayalalithaa jailing me by dragging me out of my house and torturing my family members is the worst experience for me as far as politics is concerned,” he said.