Deputy Chief Minister and DMK Treasurer M.K. Stalin has accused AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa of trying to deceive voters by claiming that she was contesting from Srirangam as it was her ancestral town.
“Did she realise it only now? Why did she not contest from here all these days?” he wondered while campaigning at Srirangam here on Saturday in support of DMK candidate N. Anand.
Responding to Ms. Jayalalithaa's criticism against him for shifting to Kolathur constituency, Mr. Stalin said he had contested six times consecutively from Thousand Lights and won four times. The party wanted to field a youngster from the constituency and hence a deputy secretary of its youth wing was fielded there.
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“Has Ms. Jayalalithaa contested from any constituency more than twice,” he asked.
Similarly, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has shifted to Tiruvarur only because he wished to contest from the place where he had grown up. He entered public life there at the age of 14 by participating in the anti-Hindi agitation. He could contest there only now because Tiruvarur was a reserved constituency since 1962.
People wanted Mr. Karunanidhi to return to power and assume office as Chief Minister for the sixth time so that he could continue the good work. They were confident that Mr. Karunanidhi would fulfil all promises made in the DMK poll manifesto.
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Vijayakant slammed
Earlier, campaigning in support of K.N. Nehru, Transport Minister, in Tiruchi West and Anbil Periyasamy in Tiruchi East constituency, Mr. Stalin criticised DMDK leader Vijayakant. “He was a hero in reel life, but has become a villain in real life,” he quipped.
Listing the achievements of the DMK government, Mr. Stalin said that the Kalaignar Health Insurance Scheme for Life Saving Treatments was meant to provide quality healthcare for the poor. Schemes such as Kalaignar Housing Scheme would continue only if Mr. Karunanidhi was returned to power.