DMK has implemented only 10% of its poll promises, says Palaniswami

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami addressing a public meeting in Tiruvannamalai district on Thursday. | Photo Credit: C. VENKATACHALAPATHY

AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Thursday that the ruling DMK had implemented only around 10% of its promises made during the 2021 Assembly election.

Addressing voters while campaigning for AIADMK candidate G.V. Gajendran in the Arani Lok Sabha constituency in Tiruvannamalai district, he said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had been claiming at public meetings that the DMK had kept 98% of its promises. However, the reality was that only around 10% had been fulfilled.

“In its 2021 election manifesto, the DMK said minimum working days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) would be increased from 100 days to 150 days with a pay rise; education loan taken by students would be waived; and ₹100 in subsidy would be given for every domestic LPG cylinder. But these promises remain unfulfilled. The list is endless,” he said.

Neighbouring Karnataka and Puducherry had reduced the local cess on the fuel by ₹8 and ₹6 respectively to help bring down the rising cost of essentials. However, Mr. Stalin had not reduced the local cess on the fuel. A reduction in the fuel prices would help to cut the cost of transport of essentials, including perishable goods, he said.

He accused the DMK government of stopping many welfare schemes implemented by the AIADMK government, including the marriage assistance scheme under which ₹50,000 and one sovereign of gold for ‘thali’ were given to daughters of widows.

Ridicules INDIA bloc

The former Chief Minister ridiculed the INDIA bloc for its failure to announce a prime ministerial candidate. Instead, the bloc was contesting against each other in several States. For instance, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party was contesting against the Congress in Punjab. In Kerala, the Congress and the Left parties were contesting against each other, he said.

Later in the day, Mr. Palaniswami spoke at a public meeting in Tiruvannamalai town in support of M. Kaliyaperumal, the candidate for the Tiruvannamalai Lok Sabha constituency.