By IANS,
Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M. Karunanidhi Tuesday said he was open to forming a coalition government in the event of a hung house, and reiterated that his son and Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was his political heir.
In an interview to a news channel, he said if there was a change in the voting pattern making a coalition imperative for political stability, the DMK will discuss the issue with its allies.
The DMK, which has ruled Tamil Nadu since 2006, has allied with the Congress, the PMK and a string of smaller parties in the April 13 assembly elections.
Karunanidhi made it clear that Stalin, his younger son, would succeed him as the DMK chief and added that seniors in the party and the rank and file who trusted him also trusted Stalin.
Karunanidhi said he had no direct links with Kalaignar TV, which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has raided in search of bribe money linked to the spectrum corruption scandal.
He said his wife M.K. Dayalu and daughter Kanimozhi held 60 and 20 percent equity stakes respectively in the channel.
“I have no rights or stakes other than this. I do not own the channel. It is unfair to link the channel to the 2G scam,” he said.
The chief minister also said that until the Supreme Court decided on the issue, it would be unfair to claim irregularities in the spectrum saga that has landed former DMK central minister A. Raja in jail.
He ruled out any negative impact on the DMK front’s electoral prospects in the coming elections because of the spectrum issue.
The DMK is fielding candidates in 119 of the 234 constituencies, while its ally Congress is contesting 63 seats.