AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Wednesday said election fever had gripped the DMK, as it would not be able to win the Erode (East) Assembly byelection.
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Kick-starting the first phase of his campaign for the party’s candidate, K.S. Thennarasu, at Veerapampalayam, he said only in villages were cattle and livestock confined to sheds. “But the DMK has erected 120 sheds, and electors are confined to these sheds throughout the day,” he claimed. “They [DMK] bought people as they are afraid of the AIADMK,” he said, adding, “You (Chief Minister M.K. Stalin) claim to be a super CM. Why then are you confining the poor to sheds and releasing them in the evening?”
Mr. Palaniswami said 25 DMK Ministers were camping in the constituency and seeking votes. “Ministers are meant to serve the people. But here, they are making tea and parottas,” he said, adding, “If Ministers had met the people in the last 21 months, the people would have had no problems.”
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Barring a memorial for former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, the DMK had not done anything so far, he said.
Listing various schemes implemented during 10 years of AIADMK rule [2011-21] in the constituency, Mr. Palaniswami alleged that the DMK had failed to implement any schemes in the constituency. “They are purchasing people to hide their failures,” he claimed.
Speaking at Periyavalasu Naal Road, Mr. Palaniswami said the DMK’s promises of a monthly honorarium of ₹1,000 for housewives and ₹100 as a subsidy for cooking gas cylinders had not been implemented. “Instead, they stopped the schemes implemented by the AIADMK that benefited the people,” he added.
The AIADMK leader said the power tariff would be increased by 6% every year and, in 2026, the total hike would be 24%. “Hike in the power tariff is their only achievement,” he said.