After raking up the possibility of a coalition government in Tamil Nadu recently, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M Karunanidhi now feels such a necessity will not arise and there will be no hung assembly.
Claiming a huge pro-DMK wave in the state, he says in his inimitable style that Chief Minister Jayalalithaa can implement her promise of doling out 4 gm of gold free for marriages of girls in poor families as leader of the opposition.
"I do not expect that there will be any need for a coalition ministry in the state as there will not be any hung assembly," the 82-year-old DMK patriarch told PTI in an interview in the midst of his gruelling election campaign.
Last week in Tiruchirapalli, he had spoken of the possibility of a coalition government, which if it happens, would be a first for the state.
The unprecedented crowds, for his public meetings during his three rounds of electioneering, indicated that there was a 'pro-DMK' wave sweeping across the state, Karunanidhi said.
People wanted to say 'good-bye' to the 'autocratic' All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government and open the doors of democracy, he said.
"I have not seen such unprecedented crowds during my six decades in public life. All sections of people want a change of government. I feel that the Democratic Progressive Alliance is certain to win the polls," the four-time chief minister.
DMK withdrew support to the National Democratic Alliance government in December 2003 because prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee refused to promote A Raja, a Dalit, as Cabinet minister following the death of Murasoli Maran.
Karunanidhi told PTI that he felt 'badly hurt' when Vajpayee did not accede to his request to elevate A Raja as a Cabinet minister after the death of Maran.
"Vajpayee asked me over telephone who should be appointed as a Cabinet minister in the vacancy caused by the death of Maran. I wanted the post to be given to Raja since he is a Dalit.
"But when Venkaiah Naidu met me two days later, he told me it was not possible to elevate Raja as he was a junior. This was one of reasons for the DMK to leave the NDA. I had not revealed this to anybody so far," Karunanidhi said.
But this type of situation did not prevail in the UPA, he said adding, this was the basic difference between the two alliances.
Karunanidhi's opponents in the state had alleged in the past that the DMK had withdrawn support because Vajpayee did not concede to his request of making Dayanidhi Maran a minister.
Both Raja and Dayanidhi Maran are Cabinet ministers in the UPA government.
