Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday said more parties were likely to join the AIADMK-led ‘mega alliance’ for the Lok Sabha election.
Mr. Palaniswami said that a democratic country with 130 crore people needed a strong, vibrant and experienced leader, and hence, the party and its cadre had decided to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the election.
“Only he can protect the country, and hence, many have joined our alliance and more parties will join,” he added.
To a question from mediapersons about former Member of Parliament K.C. Palanisamy meeting him at the Secretariat, Mr. Palaniswami said he was not re-inducted into the party and had came to meet him only to place a few demands.
Recalling that DMK president M.K. Stalin had also met him many times at the Secretariat, he requested that these meetings should not be interpreted out of context.
Release of convicts
The Chief Minister said that the Cabinet had passed a resolution and sent it to the Governor, urging the release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. He questioned what the DMK did for the cause when it was in power.
“We granted parole to one of the convicts and even extended it by a month. But the DMK did nothing for their release,” he said.
Mr. Palaniswami claimed that former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, in a hand-written note made during a Ministerial meeting, wanted only one of the convicts to be released.
The Chief Minister said that he held meetings with the Salem Collector, the Corporation Commissioner and other officials to ensure that protected drinking water was supplied to all the areas without disruption during the summer season.
Earlier, Pattali Makkal Katchi president G.K. Mani and other functionaries made a courtesy call at the party office here.
