A day after President Pranab Mukherjee invited Mr Modi to take oath as the country's 14th Prime Minister, Mr Karunanidhi, 89, wrote a letter to the BJP leader. (File photo)
DMK chief
M Karunanidhi today lavished praise on
Narendra Modi for reaching the top through his "innate intelligence and hard work," signaling the former Tamil Nadu chief minister's readiness to rework his equations with the Prime-Minister-elect. (
Read his full letter)
A day after President Pranab Mukherjee invited Mr Modi to take oath as the country's 14th Prime Minister, Mr Karunanidhi, 89, wrote a letter to the BJP leader. "It is admirable you've risen from humble beginning through innate intelligence and hard work," the DMK leader said. (
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Mr Karunanidhi said he expected the new government, led by Mr Modi, to execute its promise of working for the uplift of the poor, youth and women. "Yesterday, you said your government would work for the poor, youth and women. People eagerly expect you to realise the lofty ambition," he added, referring to Mr Modi's thanksgiving speech in the Parliament House yesterday. (
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The DMK, which had won 18 seats in 2009, failed to open its account this time. It suffered the ignominy of seeing its vote share in Tamil Nadu plummet to the third position, after the AIADMK and the BJP-led six-party alliance. J Jayalalithaa's party swept the state, bagging 37 of the 39 seats in the state. The BJP and its ally PMK won the remaining two seats. (
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The DMK was a part of the NDA till 2004, after which it walked over the rival UPA. It pulled out of the Congress-led alliance in 2013, protesting against the Centre's alleged indifference to the plight of the Sri Lankan Tamils.
On May 16, soon after the results of the Lok Sabha polls were declared, Mr Karunanidhi had greeted Mr Modi. "I extend my greetings and that of DMK to BJP and Narendra Modi, who is going to take over as the Prime Minister, for the big win across India," he said in a statement.