Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 19 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Congress President K Selvaperunthagai on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the AIADMK, alleging that the party is being controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Speaking to reporters, Selvaperunthagai said, “AIADMK is being ruled by the BJP. Only the BJP decides the future of AIADMK. This is the level AIADMK has gone down to.”
Targeting AIADMK-BJP alliance, he added, “It is not an AIADMK alliance; it is a BJP alliance, a Delhi alliance but ours is a Tamil Nadu alliance. The Delhi alliance is trying to snatch away the rights of the people of Tamil Nadu. The Delhi alliance seeks to make people bow their heads, whereas our alliance will make them hold their heads high. No matter how many times he (AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami) goes to Delhi, after the elections, he will become a branch aligned with the BJP,” he said.
Selvaperunthagai also spoke about the Congress party’s internal election preparations, stating, “Tomorrow, our party’s election committee will conduct a review. The screening committee will arrive this Sunday. A final decision will be made within two to three days.”
Tamil Nadu Congress President K Selvaperunthagai said that regardless of multi-cornered contests or strategies by PM Modi, the DMK-led alliance will focus on its five years of governance and welfare schemes, expressing confidence that the alliance will win over 210 seats in the state.
“No matter how many multi-cornered contests arise, it is the welfare schemes and our governance over the past five years that will be discussed. No matter what tricks are attempted, even if Modi uses all his strategies, our alliance will win more than 210 seats in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Earlier, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that Tamil Nadu would go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4.
The Model Code of Conduct has come into effect immediately, with the initiation of the election process for the 234-member state assembly, whose current tenure ends on May 10.
The main electoral contest is expected between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes DMK, Congress, and Other parties, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is also set to make his political debut in this election with his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won with 133 seats. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) followed with 66 seats. Congress stood at 18 seats. The state saw a voter turnout of 76.6 per Cent. (ANI)