AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami seeking votes for AIADMK candidate for Erode Parliamentary constituency Ashok Kumar at Kaspapettai in Erode in Tamil Nadu April 5, 2024.
| Photo Credit: M. Govarthan
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on April 5 said there is no consensus among INDIA bloc parties even in contesting the Lok Sabha polls together as they have alliance in one State whereas they oppose each other in other States.
Speaking at a public meeting seeking votes for AIADMK candidate for Erode Parliamentary constituency Ashok Kumar at Kaspapettai, Mr. Palaniswami said, “they don’t have consensus and how will they elect a Prime Ministerial candidate,”.
He said that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is questioning the AIADMK party on who will be its Prime Ministerial candidate. “Many States have faced elections without naming the candidate. Unlike Mr. Stalin, who wants to come to power at the Centre, we don’t want to come to power, but to serve the people who voted for us,” he added.
Mr. Palaniswami said all parties highlight the State’s problem and face the election and added that they have to quit the National Democratic Alliance as the State is affected. The leader said the vision of the national parties are at national level and when the State’s are affected they show less concern.
Earlier, speaking at a public meeting seeking votes for P. Arunachalam, AIADMK candidate for Tiruppur Parliamentary constituency at Kavundapadi coming under Bhavani Assembly constituency, Mr. Palaniswami blamed Mr. Stalin for failing to get the State’s share of Cauvery water from Karnataka. “The AIADMK government obtained Cauvery order in favour of the state, but the DMK government could not even implement it and obtain our share of water every month,” he added.
Recalling that if Mr. Stalin had obtained 10 tmc feet water from Karnataka last year, kuruvai crops in three lakh acre could have been saved, the leader pointed out that, “Mr. Stalin feared that if he had taken up the issue with the Congress government in Karnataka, DMK would be rejected by the INDIA bloc,”.
Mr. Palaniswami said while the AIADMK is for protecting the farmers, the DMK ignores the sufferings of the farming community. “Mr. Stalin and his son Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin had addressed 15 and 25 election campaigns respectively in the Lok Sabha polls. But, both failed to speak about farmers or their sufferings,” he added.
He said the AIADMK had proposed to construct seven check dams between Bhavanisagar to Bhavani across River Bhavani to store 1.5 tmc ft of water each to support the Athikadavu – Avinashi water scheme project. “But, only one dam was constructed that shows the poor water management of the DMK government,” he added.