After poll debacle, DMK chief M Karunanidhi calls for debates on Proportional Representation system

DMK president M Karunanidhi, whose party drew a blank in the recent Lok Sabha polls, today called for "healthy debates" on Proportional Representation of parties in Parliament.

He said while BJP's vote share at the national level was 31%, it had won 282 seats, but its rival Congress with 19.3% vote share had netted just 44 constituencies.

AIADMK and CPI(M) had a vote share of 3.3 per cent each at the national level, but the ruling party in Tamil Nadu had won 37 seats while the Left party had come out winning in nine, he wrote in the party mouthpiece 'Murasoli.' At the all-India level, DMK got a vote share of 1.70% and the same was the case with BJD of Orissa also, but the Naveen Patnaik-led party won 20 seats while DMK drew a blank, he pointed out and remarked that such were the "strange" things election statistics throw up.

But for countries that were erstwhile British colonies, many others were following the Proportional Representation system, wherein they get allocation in Parliaments according to their vote share and after which the political parties nominate members, Karunanidhi added.

He said DMK founder C N Annadurai had argued for Proportional Representation and though it did not find support initially, many national parties were now talking about it.

"Healthy debates should be held across the country on this issue and our democracy should be strengthened further," he said.

Seeking to enthuse his supporters in the face of a complete rout in the April 24 elections, Karunanidhi said DMK had gone through ups and downs earlier and exhorted them to work with the party's founding principles of "Duty, Discipline and Dignity" and strengthen it at the grassroots level even as Assembly elections are due in another two years.