All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK) president R. Sarathkumar on Sunday said his party was focusing on the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and not on the next year’s Parliament elections.
The AISMK leader participated in a party function, Samathuva Virundhu, and distributed food in Salem. On the issues relating to the take over of acquired fertile land by the Neyveli Lignite Corporation in Cuddalore, he told journalists PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss had urged the government not to acquire agricultural land. Without farmers, there was no economy in the country. In the future, there was a possibility of scarcity of rice. So the Union Government should stop the NLCIL expansion project, he said.
Responding to the BJP yatra in Tamil Nadu, the actor-politician said he could not comment whether it was a necessity or not. They (BJP) were conducting the yatra to strengthen the party. Considering the 2024 Parliament elections, the yatra would help the party gauge the demands and trend of the public. The BJP state president, K. Annamalai, should ask the Union Government to drop the NLCIL project in Cuddalore district, he said.
Responding to a question on whether the party would be a part of the BJP-led NDA, Mr. Sarathkumar said it had not yet decided on an alliance. “The party is concentrating on the 2026 Assembly elections. We are speaking about politics without money. If our party cadre are willing to contest, they should not care about the votes, whether they get 5,000 or 2,000. We need a change, and it should start here,” Mr. Sarathkumar added.
