DMK would prefer a person from minorities, dalits or backward classes as the next President of the country, DMK President M Karunanidhi said on Saturday night. He told reporters in Chennai that DMK would convey its views to Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, who had been authorised by NDA to discuss with NDA partners on the issue.
He refused to reply a question whether the party had any specific name in mind.
He said that he did not have any difference of opinion with the TDP Supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who had been of late critical of Centre's handling of Gujarat issue. He said efforts should be taken to prevent violence spreading to other parts of the country from Gujarat.

He alleged that some of the provisions of the cable operator regulation bill passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly on Friday night was to prevent freedom of expression.
On the bill prohibiting MLAs and MPs from becoming the civic body chiefs, passed by the state assembly on Friday night, he said that DMK had represented to President and the Tamil Nadu Governor for their intervention to prevent the bill from becoming an Act. 'We expect that they will take appropriate action", he said.
He said that the party would not allow any electoral malpractices during the by-elections to the state assembly from three constituencies. Bureau Report