Mr Karunanidhi, talking to reporters here after releasing the list of party candidates for the May eight Assembly poll, said the charge was a challenge to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intelligence.

On the oppositions allegations that the DMK was playing family politics and the campaign against the move to protect the 'family TV network', he said ''let us see whether such propaganda cuts ice among the people.'' Asked how the party would get funds for fulfilling promises on freebies like colour tvs, gas stoves and rice at Rs two per kg, he said, ''you vote us to power and we will show how they can be implemented.'' Mr Karunanidhi said the election manifesto would be the basis for the preparation of the budget, if the party was elected to power.

The DMK supremo parried a question on the MDMK continuing in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance at the Centre, despite his objections, after it quit the DPA here and joined the AIADMK-led alliance.

On partymen resorting to violence protesting against allotment of Mugaiyur constituency to the PMK, he said the local DMK leader, who was burning effigies, had been an MLA twice. His mother had served as MLA for two terms and his father Govindasamy had been a Minister in the DMK cabinet.

To a question on Moovendar Munnani leader Dr N Sethuraman's charge over denial of ticket, Mr Karunanidhi said the DMK wanted Dr Sethuraman himself to contest from Thirumangalam in Madurai, but the Munnani leader wanted to field someone else from the party.

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