CM Palaniswami terms it historic judgment

Welcoming the apex court’s order allowing Tamil Nadu to conduct polls in rural local bodies in 27 districts, Palaniswami said that AIADMK has begun seat sharing talks with alliance parties. “After talks, the AIADMK will announce the names of candidates,” he told reporters at Omalur in Salem district.

The Chief Minister said that the State Election Commission will conduct civic polls based on the Supreme Court verdict. “The AIADMK will work committed to register a massive win in the local body polls,” he said.

To a query on DMK’s contention of conducting polls for rural local bodies alone leaving the corporations and municipalities, the Chief Minister said that it will only be apt in a democracy to meet people to get their votes and win.

“However, out of fear of defeat, Stalin has been talking something else and is approaching the court only to stall the local body elections. Already, the DMK stopped local body polls in 2016. Even now, they took similar efforts, but the court has refused to cancel the conduct of polls,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Minister chaired a meeting with party functionaries regarding the local body polls at AIADMK party office in Omalur. More than 1,000 persons from various other parties in Edappadi, Veerapandi, Omalur and other areas joined the AIADMK in the presence of the Chief Minister.