Vellore (Tamil Nadu), Apr 1 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday appealed to the people to reject the AIADMK-led NDA in the state and provide a decisive mandate to the DMK that was synonymous with development.
The DMK government under Chief Minister M K Stalin achieved growth despite the lack of support from the Centre and also facing financial crisis left by the previous AIADMK rule, he said.
“We achieved growth in the state without any support from the Centre, and facing the financial crisis left by the previous AIADMK rule. We made Tamil Nadu emerge as among the developing states registering 11.19 per cent economic growth,” he said and urged the people to ensure a big win for the DMK and enable the formation of the Dravidian model 2.0 regime.
Addressing an election rally in Vellore, where the party’s legislator P Karthikeyan has been renominated, Udhayanidhi said the Centre ignored Tamil Nadu and it did not allot any major projects for the state. Even the union budget skipped mentioning the state’s name.
Also, he campaigned for the party’s candidate in Anicut constituency A P Nandakumar.
Garnering votes for the party candidates in Natrampalli and Vaniyambadi in Tirupattur district, he said the BJP’s “conspiracies” will be defeated and TN team will ensure a win in the April 23 election.
“We will defeat the conspiracies of the BJP, which wants to rule Tamil Nadu from Delhi with old and new slaves, in the 2026 Assembly elections. Let us work tirelessly and ensure that the Tamil Nadu team wins and usher in the Dravidian model 2.O regime,” Udhayanidhi said and exuded confidence that the DMK-led alliance will win.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, who has faced electoral defeat ten times, should be made to face a complete rout this time too, he said while garnering votes for the DMK candidates: Kavitha Dhandapani and Nallathambi for Jolarpet Assembly constituency and Tirupattur Assembly constituency, respectively.
The DMK youth wing secretary highlighted the party’s election assurances, including doubling the monthly grant for women heads of families to Rs 2,000, providing Rs 8,000 one-time coupon for homemakers and extending the CM Breakfast scheme upto eighth standard.
Addressing a poll rally in Ambur, Udhayanidhi sarcastically remarked that he lacked the political experience of AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, whom he alleged changed cars while in Delhi and returned with his face covered with a handkerchief.
“Palaniswami says that his political experience equals my age. I agree, I don’t have his experience. My experience is, not to be cowed down to intimidation or the Sanghis. My experience is to stand with self-respect and to stand with the people,” the 48-year-old DMK youth wing secretary said.
He further questioned the former Chief Minister’s loyalty and said, “What’s his experience? First he fell at the feet of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, then (her former close aide) V K Sasikala, now Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.” “I didn’t go secretly to Delhi and change four cars to meet Amit Shah. Nor have I covered my face with a kerchief while coming out of Shah’s house. I don’t have that experience. His experience is to pledge TN’s rights with Delhi,” Udhayanidhi claimed.
On the Muslim community in Ambur, Udhayanidhi said the DMK always stood with minorities, and was their guardian, supporting them even on the CAA issue.
Earlier at Jolarpettai, the Deputy Chief Minister appealed to the people to decimate the opposition AIADMK in the ensuing Assembly election and also ensure that its ally, the BJP, doesn’t win at the hustings.
The “fascist BJP” does not have the people’s sanction to enter Tamil Nadu, and the saffron party cannot win at the hustings, he said.
“I, like the Chief Minister M K Stalin, have been campaigning throughout the state for the last two days. I am yet to visit my constituency to launch my poll campaign as a candidate. So, ensuring the victory of the DMK and its allies in the April 23 elections is tantamount to securing a big win for the chief minister and me as well,” Udhayanidhi said.
He said the DMK was able to approach the people as it has kept up its promises made in the 2021 Assembly election and is confident of delivering more when the party gets a second successive term. PTI JSP JSP ROH
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