Meeting with CM nothing political: Durai Vaiko

Trichy: MDMK principal secretary and Trichy MP Durai Vaiko on Saturday said his meeting with chief minister C Joseph Vijay was purely to discuss issues related to his parliamentary constituency and not politics.

“I discussed projects and public demands concerning Trichy parliamentary constituency with the chief minister. In particular, I put forward requests such as expediting Trichy airport runway expansion project, establishing a dry port in Trichy, and making Trichy the state’s second capital,” he told reporters in Trichy.

To a question about former BJP state president K Annamalai quitting BJP and embarking on a new movement, Durai Vaiko said he welcomed it as healthy competition in politics. “He has launched a new political movement, which he has said will eventually become a political party. What I appreciate is that he has stated that the movement will be a secular platform that transcends caste and religion and serves as a voice for Tamils. If he intends to take forward development-oriented politics, it will be beneficial for the state and democracy,” the MP said.

Durai Vaiko said they were compelled to contest under the ‘rising sun’ symbol in all the four constituencies in the election. “We were denied (opportunity to contest in own ‘matchbox’ symbol). I will not blame the previous chief minister Stalin, but there were certain other power centres,” he said.

Later in the day, Durai Vaiko inspected Gandharvakottai govt hospital in Pudukottai district. Gandharvakottai falls under his Trichy parliamentary constituency.