Kamal Ghorui
CHENNAI: DMK will wait for TVK leader C Joseph Vijay to form the govt, and “watch without disturbing for six months”, outgoing chief minister M K Stalin told TOI on Wednesday.Indicating that DMK doesn’t want a constitutional crisis or another election soon, Stalin said he expects the new govt to continue the schemes introduced by his regime, besides fulfilling the promises TVK has made in its election manifesto. “The new govt should continue with the free breakfast scheme for school children,” he said when asked what tops his priority list. “And ‘Kalaignar magalir urimai thogai’ (Rs 1,000 monthly allowance to women heads of households).”When pointed out that Vijay had promised Rs 2,500 to women, Stalin said it would be difficult to keep that promise. “Give them at least Rs 1,000 as we did”. His govt fulfilled 90% of the promises the party made in its 2021 manifesto, the DMK president said; some like discontinuing NEET couldn’t be done because of Centre’s control.“In this election too, we promised only those things we could deliver. I don’t think TVK will be able to fulfill its promises (referring to six free LPG cylinders a year to each family of ration card holders),” he said, adding, “Senjaal magizhchi (we will be happy if they do).”The DMK president had a steady stream of visitors – former ministers and party leaders, alliance partners and well-wishers from different walks of life – at his residence from early Wednesday morning, and later at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters.
