CM’s family acting as power centres in ruling T.N., says EPS

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AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday accused Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and his family members of acting as power centres to rule the State since the DMK came to power in 2021.

Addressing the public during the Makkalai Kaappom, Thamizhagathai Meetpom campaign to introduce candidates of the AIADMK alliance for the Assembly segments in Tirupattur, Vellore, and Ranipet districts, Mr. Palaniswami said the State was being ruled by the Chief Minister’s family. He said Mr. Stalin’s wife Durga Stalin, son and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, and son-in-law V. Sabareesan were acting as the four power centres of the DMK, controlling various government departments and agencies. “Mr. Stalin remains a mere puppet to these power centres. The rights and dignity of the people of Tamil Nadu can be retrieved only if the AIADMK is voted back to power,” he said.

The AIADMK leader slammed Mr. Stalin for criticising the AIADMK’s failure to win elections under his leadership since 2017. “Mr. Stalin should stop talking in an arrogant manner. Otherwise, the AIADMK party cadre will respond in an appropriate manner. He should recollect the past when DMK was unable to secure even a position as the principal Opposition party in the 2011 Assembly polls. Since then, DMK was in ‘vanavasam’ (political exile) until 2021,” he said.

Taking credit for the implementation of Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam by the DMK government, Mr. Palaniswami said it was implemented due to continuous pressure by the AIADMK. Mr. Stalin-led DMK government yielded to pressure of AIADMK, the principal opposition party in the State Assembly, and executed the scheme after 28 months since DMK came to power in May 2021. “In view of the Assembly election, an additional 25 lakh beneficiaries were enrolled under the scheme recently. If these beneficiaries had been added when the scheme was implemented, they would have not lost the monthly grant of ₹1,000 for 54 months,” he said.

He also lamented the dependence of the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) partners, especially CPI, CPI(M), and VCK on the DMK. Despite being in the alliance for over a decade, they had to contend with fewer seats than was allotted to them in 2021 polls due to the new entrant – the DMDK, he said. 

“As per records, Vijayakant led DMDK managed to secure only 0.5% of total votes in 2021 polls whereas communist parties secured around 2.5% of total votes in the same elections. Despite the vote percentage, the alliance partners were forced to reduce the number of Assembly seats they demanded for the polls. The alliance partners in the DMK-led front should feel ashamed of being in such an alliance for the polls,” he said.

The AIADMK leader contended that the party has always protected the rights of minorities in the State. “As far as AIADMK is concerned, the alliance is different from the principles of the party. Despite our alliance for the polls, AIADMK principles on protection of minorities in Tamil Nadu will never change,” he said.