AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday said he will visit all 234 assembly constituencies in the state from January 2025, and to expose the DMK government to the “sad state” of Tamil Nadu. will meet
He further announced that a major electoral alliance would be formed under the leadership of the AIADMK for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Addressing the party’s General Assembly and Executive Council meeting in Chennai, Mr. Palaniswami said that the alliance would be formed as expected by the workers. Acknowledging that he had made such an assurance for the 2024 general elections as well, Mr. Palaniswami said: “Parliamentary elections are different from assembly elections…”
“They (some sections) say that the BJP has more votes now. That is not true,” said Mr. Palaniswami, adding that the BJP alliance got 18.80% of the votes in the 2014 general elections, but only 18.28% of the votes in the 2024 elections. The BJP contested eight seats in 2014 and got 5.56% of the votes. , contested 20 seats in 2024 and was supposed to get 13.15% of the vote, however, it only 11.24% of the votes, he said, the AIADMK got 1% more votes than the national party.
The AIADMK leader further hit out at the DMK government for organizing car races in Chennai, lack of public loans, and other major projects. He alleged that the DMK government stood in favor of the rich, and insulted the poor. Liquor bottles were charged Rs 3,600 crore more annually at Rs 10 per bottle.
Mr. Palaniswami also slammed the government for alleged widespread corruption in various departments and breakdown of law and order.
He also dismissed claims by DMK leaders MK Stalin, Udhayanidhi Stalin and Kanimozhi that their party would win more than 200 seats in the 2026 assembly elections as “daydreams”.
AIADMK will win over 200 seats and form the government in 2026, he said, calling on his party workers to put an end to DMK’s dynastic politics.
published – December 16, 2024 at 12:30 pm IST