Tamil Nadu Elections: DMK Chief Karunanidhi terms Rs 22 crore as 'insufficient' poll fund

Terming as 'insufficient' the Rs 22 crore poll fund given by them, DMK President M Karunanidhi on Saturday urged his party cadres to contribute more and start working resolutely for the assembly elections due early next year in Tamil Nadu.

"Considering the money power of our rival, you should realise that the funds that you have so far given is not at all sufficient (to meet the expenditure on electioneering)," he said in his usual letter to the cadres, which was released to the media.

"I am not used to seek election funds from the rich and business owners, I only seek funds from you repeatedly," he said.

Stating that Rs 21.93 crore has so far been received by the party towards poll funds from them, he told them that "the time left for elections is short."

In the letter, that will be published in party mouthpiece "Murasoli," he said they should "bring in huge funding for the party (for elections next year) and show resoluteness in election work from today onwards."

On March 12 this year, Karunanidhi had appealed to the party workers to make contributions to the party's election fund for the 2016 assembly polls. DMK is hoping for a turnaround in its poll fortunes after being badly mauled by the ruling AIADMK in the 2011 assembly and last year's Lok Sabha elections.