"Manifesto is PM candidate for our alliance": DMK-Cong ally VCK in Tamil Nadu

ARIYALUR: Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief and candidate from Chidambaram Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu's Ariyalur district, Thol Thirumavalavan,praised the Congress manifesto and asserted that they are projecting manifesto as the PM candidate that refelects their policies.

The DMK-Congress ally in Tamil Nadu said that they are not projecting any individual and appreciated the grand old party's manifesto earlier this week.

"Recently, Congress published their election manifesto. I can say that this manifesto is the prime minister candidate for our alliance. We are not projecting any individual. We are projecting our policies and manifesto. So the manifesto of the Congress party will be the Prime Minister candidate. We appreciate the Congress party for this popular manifesto," Thol Thirumavalavan told ANI on Sunday.

The incumbent MP in Chidambaram expressed confidence that the people of his constituency are 'welcoming' the INDI alliance.

"In my constituency Chidambaram, the election campaign is going on smoothly. Most of the people are welcoming our DMK-led alliance, particularly INDIA bloc," the VCK chief said.

The VCK chief also vowed to provide 50 per cent reservation for women in the union public services.

"After getting the power, the INDI alliance will provide 50 per cent reservation for women in Union government services, which are public services. It will create an impact among women," Thirumavalavan said.

Emphasising the Congress manifesto and the grand old party's 25 guarantees, he further asserted that the opposition alliance will form a government.

"We demand the union government to abolish NEET and CUET examinations but BJP government did not respond to our demand. Now the manifesto of the Congress party declares that whoever wants to go away from NEET and CUET, they can go. So Tamil Nadu will get NEET-free entrance examinations for medical students or aspirants," he said.

"This kind of 25 promises, and guarantees have been given by the Congress party. Definitely, the Congress manifesto will gain more and more acceptance and will get the political power in the Centre. We will form a government in the union," the VCK chief remarked.

Thirumavalavan accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of indulging in 'electoral politics' and alleged that the latter is 'giving asylum' to all 'notorious criminals'. "They are doing electoral politics. People know that BJP is giving asylum to all notorious criminals.

Politically, socially who are under the investigation are in the BJP. All notorious and criminals are in the BJP and they blame the opposition parties, people knows very well. So this is their political propaganda against opposition parties. But it will not give any negative impact against our INDI alliance," he said.

In the 2014 general elections, ADMK's M Chandrakasi defeated Thirumaavalavan by 128495 votes clinching 429536 votes, however, Thirumaavalavan won the Chidambaram constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with a massive margin of 3219 against ADMK's P Chandrasekar.

This time, AIADMK has fielded M Chandrahaasan, while the BJP has fielded incumbent Mayor and AIADMK defector P Karthiyayini against Thirumaavalavan in the seat.

All 39 seats of Tamil Nadu will go to polls in the first phase of the general elections on April 19 and the counting of votes, along with those from other phases, has been scheduled for June 4.

In 2019, the DMK-led secular alliance swept the Lok Sabha polls in the state, winning 38 of the 39 seats in the state.

The DMK, which is contesting 22 seats, leads an eight-party alliance that includes the Congress, which is contesting 9 seats; the CPI(M) and the CPI that are contesting 2 seats each; the Indian Muslim League, which has fielded a lone candidate; the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, which is contesting 2 seats, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which has fielded a lone candidate; and the Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi (KMDK), whose candidate will contest on the DMK symbol.

The AIADMK, which is leading an alliance of four parties in the Lok Sabha, will contest 34 seats while its partners Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam will contest 5, the Puthiya Tamilagam and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) one each. However, the latter two parties will contest the polls on the AIADMK symbol.

The BJP, which is contesting 23 seats, will go into the polls with nine other partners; including the Pattali Makkal Katchi on 10 seats), the Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) on 3 seats, former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK leader O Pannerselvam, who is contesting as an Independent; Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMU), headed by TTV Dhinakaran, on 2 seats, and the Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi, Puthiya Needhi Katchi and Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam on one seat each.

The elections to 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases, starting April 19.