T.N. Assembly election: parties in the DMK alliance have lost people’s support, says Palaniswami

Palaniswami claims DMK alliance parties have lost public support due to silence on issues, promising AIADMK's strong voter base.

Former Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday charged that alliance parties in the DMK combine had lost the people’s support as they remained silent and did not speak on the people’s problems. Mr. Palaniswami campaigned for AIADMK candidates in Vazhapadi and Attur on Tuesday evening. Addressing the public, Mr. Palaniswami said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was claiming that more parties were in the DMK alliance. “It is true, but those parties do not have votes,” he said. He said while the number of parties in the AIADMK alliance may be fewer, they had a strong vote bank. The parties that were part of the AIADMK alliance in the 2021 Assembly election continued in 2026, except the DMDK. “We (AIADMK) gave a chance to them (DMDK), but the DMDK forgot us. The AIADMK will take its alliance parties to high positions, but the DMK will pull down the parties in their front,” he claimed. Referring to the VCK, CPI, CPI (M), and parties representing the Muslims, Mr. Palaniswami said they had supported the DMK government since 2021. “I told them not to believe the DMK and asked them to speak on people’s issues. But they did not listen to me and remained silent. So, they lost the people’s support. A party should work for people and protest in the streets for people’s issues. Only then will that party grow,” he said. He added the number of seats allotted to the CPI and the CPI(M) in the DMK alliance has been reduced to one each, compared to six seats each in 2021. “This is the prize given to the communist parties by Mr. Stalin. The Chief Minister was never loyal to the alliance parties. But the AIADMK cadre will work hard for alliance parties like honeybees. The AIADMK ensured the symbol for alliance parties that believed in it,” he said. Replying to DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi’s charge that he was a betrayer, Mr. Palaniswami claimed after the demise of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, the DMK tried to destroy the AIADMK through betrayers, including the one who served as the AIADMK coordinator. “Now he (O. Panneerselvam) is in the DMK. With the support of party cadre, the AIADMK overcame all obstacles. The people have decided that this is the last election for the DMK. Mr. Stalin could not bear that a farmer was rising to a higher position, and, in 2017, when the AIADMK proved its majority in the Assembly, Mr. Stalin committed numerous atrocities. In this election, the AIADMK will register a massive win and come to power,” he added. Promising that the ganja menace will be eradicated within three months, Mr. Palaniswami alleged that drugs were available everywhere and people, including children and the elderly, are not safe under the DMK regime. “After the AIADMK comes to power, I will eradicate ganja within three months. Crop loans will be waived and three-phase power will be supplied to farmers.” Stating that the DMK had threatened to file a case against him, Mr. Palaniswami said: “I have spoken about what former Union Minister A. Raja said in an audio clip. If action is to be taken, it should be taken against Mr. Raja. During the 2021 election, Mr. Stalin said there was a mystery surrounding Ms. Jayalalithaa’s death and assured that he would inquire into it, referring to her as the former Chief Minister. I also say the same; Mr. Karunanidhi is a former Chief Minister, and we (AIADMK) will inquire whether he was under alleged house arrest.”