On Jaya’s birth anniv, EPS vows good show in LS polls

CHENNAI: Asserting that his party would form a formidable alliance for the coming general elections, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday expressed confidence that his party candidates will secure a win in the polls and would continue to raise the issues of Tamil Nadu including Cauvery row in the Parliament.

"At present, all the political parties were waiting for the election dates, and are expected to be released by the Election Commission soon. Each party will come out with their idea once the dates are announced", he said after paying floral tributes to the late and former CM J Jayalalithaa on her birth anniversary.

"Our (AIADMK MPs) voices will be heard in the Parliament soon. We will protect the rights of Tamil Nadu people," he claimed.

Claiming several measures with regard to the Cauvery River issue with Karnataka were taken up when the then AIADMK was in power, Palaniswami alleged though DMK has several MPs in the parliament they do not raise the Cauvery issue".

Reiterating that his party was in power, a case was filed in the Supreme Court against the Central Water Commission (CWC), which recommended to construction of the Mekedatu dam, and the petition is still pending, the former CM said "Though I continuously drew the attention in this regard, the DMK has failed to continue the case".

With regard to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), he alleged that the DMK government is "playing double standards''.

"During its poll promise, it (DMK) said that it would scrap NEET with a single signature when it came to power. However, now instead of a single signature, they sought lakhs of signatures to remove NEET", he said, pointing out that the NEET was implemented when Congress was at the Centre when DMK was its allay".

Palaniswami also claimed when the then AIADMK had several MPs, they had raised more than 16,000 questions in the Parliament. "At present, the DMK MPs had raised less questions than us," he alleged.

Puducherry CM, leaders pay homage to Jayalalithaa

Chief Minister N Rangasamy paid tributes to AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa here on the occasion of her 76th birth anniversary. Rangasamy, Speaker of the territorial assembly R Selvam, Deputy Speaker P Rajavelu, Ministers and legislators of Puducherry were among those who paid floral tributes to the former Tamil Nadu CM on the precincts of the Assembly here. Secretary of the Puducherry unit of the AIADMK A Anbalagan led party men to pay floral tributes at the statue of Jayalalithaa in the party headquarters here.