Stalin defends 'Rahul for PM' cry, seeks support
Chennai, Dec 18 : DMK president M K Stalin strongly defended backing Rahul Gandhi as prime ministerial candidate, saying the Congress chief had the strength to dislodge the BJP regime at the Centre and sought the support of friendly secular parties for his proposal.
Amid murmurs in the opposition ranks about reservations over the proposal, Stalin said it may have led to a debate among friendly parties.
"In a democracy, solutions have emerged only from debates... these deliberations too will cause good outcomes," he said in a letter to his party cadre late Monday.
Stalin appealed to other opposition parties to "strengthen the hands of Rahul to guard democracy".
He said joining of forces was required to trounce the BJP in the Lok Sabha election next year.
The DMK chief said his statement was based on the rationale that projecting Gandhi alone would be appropriate to bind secular forces.
Noting that the Congress beat the saffron party in the recently concluded assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, he said Gandhi had the strength to defeat the Modi-led BJP government.
Stalin said his statement was made keeping with the legacy of his father and late DMK patriarch Karunanidhi, who was for taking ideas forward at the opportune and appropriate time.
He also reiterated that the DMK under the leadership of his father had taken the lead at the right time during previous Lok Sabha elections to propel the Congress towards victory.
The DMK chief again accused the BJP government of being against pluralism, pushing economy into a shambles, hurting communal harmony and being indifferent to Tamil Nadu.
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Late flourish masks CSK’s batting woes on lively Chepauk track, hosts post 158/7
Chennai (PTI): Bowlers calling the shots in a format dominated by big hitters is a rarity, but that script played out at Chepauk on Sunday as Gujarat Titans exploited a lively, bounce-friendly surface to stifle Chennai Super Kings before the hosts managed a late flourish to reach 158 for 7.
On a pitch that offered sharp carry, stroke-making demanded discretion and adaptability. Instead, CSK’s batters often opted for high-risk shots without fully assessing conditions, and paid the price with a flurry of miscued dismissals.
Invited to bat, CSK never quite found rhythm but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden half-century (74 not out) of the current IPL season lent a semblance of respectability to the total in a season where 200-plus scores have become commonplace.
Gaikwad's knock came off 60 balls with six fours and four sixes after a laboured start.
The tone was set early by GT pacer Mohammed Siraj, who extracted steep bounce and forced errors.
Sanju Samson (11) began watchfully, negotiating the first over before opening up against Kagiso Rabada to bring up his 5000 IPL runs milestone. However, Rabada’s bounce soon accounted for him as a hard slash outside off resulted in a faint edge that Jos Buttler pouched safely.
The dismissal triggered a collapse. Urvil Patel (4) fell in the same Rabada over attempting an ambitious pull, while Sarfaraz Khan (0) succumbed to Siraj’s extra lift, mistiming a short ball to offer a simple catch.
At 28 for 3 inside the Powerplay, CSK were already in trouble.
Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis (2) needed to rebuild, but the latter’s impatience against spinner Manav Suthar led to his downfall, holing out after failing to get to the pitch of the ball.
The mounting wickets forced Gaikwad into a shell — an approach that, while understandable, further stalled the momentum. His reluctance to improvise allowed dot balls to pile up, with CSK reaching 50 only in the 12th over.
The skipper eventually broke free, taking on Arshad Khan and Jason Holder with a couple of towering sixes, but the acceleration came too late.
Shivam Dube, dropped thrice on 6, 11 and 22, struggled for fluency before Arshad cleaned him up.
Kartik Sharma (15) and Jamie Overton (18) provided late impetus with a few lusty hits, but the damage had already been done.
On a pitch that rewarded discipline and smart shot selection, Titans' bowlers executed their plans to perfection, while CSK’s batters failed to read the conditions in time, a lapse that ultimately defined the innings.
