Chennai, May 31 (BPNS)
The praise of DMK mouthpiece ‘Murasoli’ on Vice President of the country, M. Venkiah Naidu’s speech while unveiling the statue of former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, late M. Karunanidhi has given rise to speculation whether the party would support Naidu if he is a contestant in the Presidential polls.
The presidential elections are scheduled to be held in July 2022 and there are speculations of the NDA fielding the incumbent Vice President, Venkiah Naidu for the post.
The DMK mouthpiece, ‘Murasoli’ in its editorial on Sunday has praised Venkiah Naidu in a lavish manner and reminiscences the relation between Naidu and DMK for the past twenty-five years. it has also mentioned the stand taken by Venkiah Naidu when Karunanidhi was arrested in 2001 by the AIADMK government of Jayalalithaa.
The Murasoli editorial also said that the Vice President had spoken in detail on the ideas sown by the DMK and their leader Karunanidhi on Tamil soil for a long time.
The speech by Naidu that the overall growth of the country is only through the growth of the states and that the central and state governments must work together.
Venkiah Naidu attending the unveiling of the statue of Karunanidhi was in itself criticized by several right-wing groups but the Vice President was unfazed. The presence of Naidu in the function and the editorial by Murasoli is being seen by political pundits as a sort of possible support to be extended by the DMK to Venkiah Naidu if contests the Presidential polls.
Senthamarakshan, activist and chief Coordinator, Sradha, a social organization based out of Chennai while speaking to BPNS said, “ Venkiah Naidu has relationships in all political parties and his gesture of unveiling the statue of DMK stalwart has given him a semblance of respect among DMK cadres and local people. There can be support from DMK to him if he is fielded as a Presidential candidate.”
Many local people also found that the gesture of the Vice President unveiling the statue of late Chief Minister and DMK leader, M. Karunanidhi has given Venkiah leverage among the DMK cadres and workers.
It has however to be seen whether NDA will field Venkiah Naidu for the president post and if at all he is fielded how the DMK will be able to justify supporting him.
