"The Chief Minister slept when floods struck Chennai," 93-year-old M Karunanidhi said on Saturday.
From Saidapet in Chennai, an area that was ravaged by the floods four months ago, 93-year-old M Karunanidhi on Saturday launched his campaign for the Tamil Nadu elections.
The city has traditionally been a DMK bastion but after the 2006 floods it went to his archival Jayalalithaa.
Now the DMK hopes to wrest it back by highlighting what it calls the AIADMK's poor response to the floods.
"The Chief Minister slept when floods struck Chennai. The Maharani (Queen) wouldn't visit flood affected areas, she would only take the chopper," Karunanidhi said.
Jayalalithaa has already given her administration a clean chit, reminding voters that the rain was unprecedented and that it was due to steps taken by her government that there was no spread of disease.
AIADMK spokesperson Ma Foi Pandiarajan said, "Madam has brought Chennai back on track, that's a fact. Whether she has to be there personally for everything or not is a different thing."
As politicians bicker people like Rajalakshmi, worst hit by the floods, are trying hard to pick up the pieces in South Chennai. The family lost all their belongings as neck deep sewage mixed waters entered their home. "We've decided to not buy anything now. To lose our property in front of our eyes, we've decided to live with whatever we managed to save," she said.
Tamil Nadu has seen a new government every five years over the last two decades.
This time the DMK has revived ties with the Congress, but the Opposition is fragmented with actor Vijayakant leading the third front. The PMK party and BJP too are testing waters alone.
With no strong alliance, experts say this could be the toughest ever battle for Karunanidhi. But his party is hopeful of a comeback and the party chief has sounded the bugle for the ride ahead.