People’s anger will reflect in Erode vote, say AIADMK leaders

CHENNAI: AIADMK ex-minister S Semmalai said the anger of people against the DMK will reflect in the Erode East bypoll.

On the sidelines of canvassing votes for AIADMK party candidate KS Thennarasu by visiting door-to-door, Semmalai told reporters that in the last 21 months of DMK rule, property tax, electricity charges and even milk prices have increased heavily.

“But, the per capita income of individuals has not increased. People are angry and upset with the DMK and it will reflect in the bypolls. There are good chances for the AIADMK to win with a huge victory margin,” he said.

Pointing to DMK’s claim of having implemented 85 per cent of poll promises, out of 520 announcements made in the run up to Assembly polls, Semmalai charged that they have not implemented even one useful scheme for the welfare of the public.

AIADMK ex-minister C Vijayabaskar, who was touring residential areas on a campaign trail, blamed DMK for stopping welfare schemes of the AIADMK government. “The AIADMK government would soon arise to protect the people of Tamil Nadu. The electorate should prove that Erode is a fort of the AIADMK,” he said.

Senior AIADMK leader and former minister D Jayakumar on Friday said the electorates in Erode East Constituency would teach a lesson to the ruling DMK party for failing to fulfil its poll promises.

Coming down heavily on Chief Minister MK Stalin for his remark that his government had implemented 85% of the poll promises, Jayakumar said the Chief Minister's claims were unbelievable.

Jayakumar said this while addressing the media persons at Secretariat after submitting a petition to Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu Satyabrata Sahoo against violations of the model code of conduct in Erode East constituency.

The Chief Minister was dishing out factually incorrect information to cheat the people, he said and listed out that government did not fulfil majority of their promises, starting from the monthly dole of Rs 1,000 to women heads of each family, waiver of education loans to students community, restoring old pension scheme for government employees and disbursing retirement benefits to transport employees and abolition of NEET.

"The people of the State are waiting for an opportunity to teach this government a lesson. The electorates will reflect the mood of the TN people and hand down a massive victory for the AIADMK," he said and added it would be a massive blow to the DMK's "Tughlaq-style governance".

“Except the Chief Minister and his son Udhaynidhi Stalin, the rest of the cabinet and the party functionaries were camping in Erode East constituency. They have resorted to attempt to prevent people attending the AIADMK meetings and election campaigns

Rejecting the claims that there was strained relationship between the BJP and the AIADMK,” the former minister said there is complete harmony in the AIADMK alliance. The BJP's senior leader CP Radhakrishnan along with leaders of other alliance parties participated in the election campaign meeting to officially introduce the candidate. Since BJP state chief K Annamalai had prior commitment, he was unable to attend the meeting.

On AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran's remark that the Two-Leaves symbol lost its glory and vigour, Jayakumar said the soul (Athma) of party founder M G Ramachandran and leader Jayalalithaa would never forgive V K Sasikala, her nephew TTV Dhinakaran and ousted AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam. They cheated the party and the symbol that gave them the recognition.

On the death of a policeman, S Vijayan, he hit out at the DMK government that the police personnel were unsafe and wondered how they would ensure the safety of the common man.