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The Hindu
The Hindu
National
Special Correspondent

Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections | Palaniswami government more corrupt than 1991-96 Jayalalithaa regime, says Stalin

A section of women with children at a campaign by DMK president M.K.Stalin for Salem North, Salem South, Salem West and Omalur assembly constituencies DMK and congress candidates in Salem in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.

DMK president M.K. Stalin on Tuesday claimed that the Edappadi K.Palaniswami government was more corrupt than the 1991-96 AIADMK regime headed by Jayalalithaa.

“This was a regime marked by corruption, commission and collection mixed with dictatorial rule that needed to be booted out,” he charged.

The five oaths of Jayalalithaa 

Campaigning in Vepanahalli constituency, Mr.Stalin also targeted the AIADMK’s candidate K.P.Munusamy. “There is a man contesting on behalf of the AIADMK from this constituency. He functions as a Minister without being a Minister. He is called 30% Munusamy,” he charged. Claiming that Mr. Munusamy’s political life was resurrected only after the death of Jayalalithaa, he alleged, Mr.Munusamy was booted out as a Minister by Jayalalithaa, when she found out his nickname was 30% Munusamy implying he demanded commissions.”

He said Mr. Munusamy went on a ‘fast’ in Krishnagiri demanding an inquiry into the death of Jayalalithaa and “latched on to OPS (O.Panneerselvam)”. He asked why Mr. Munusamy wanted to contest in the Assembly election when he still had four-and-a-half years of his term as Rajya Sabha MP left. The DMK leader accused him of being a “PMK agent”.

Later, campaigning in Salem, Mr.Stalin said the AIADMK should not win even a single seat to prevent entry of BJP in Tamil Nadu.

Campaigning for the candidates of the DMK-led front at Kottai Maidan, Mr.Stalin said even if one AIADMK candidate won, he would be entering (the Assembly) only as a BJP (representative). He charged that O.P.Ravindranath, the sole AIADMK Lok Sabha MP, belonged to the BJP now. “His letter pad has image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. OPS’s son who won the elections on behalf of AIADMK listens to BJP government and has openly declared Modi is his leader,” he said.

Mr.Stalin said though he was contesting from Kolathur constituency, he was contesting from here as well to be chosen as Chief Minister.

This was Dravidian soil where Periyar, Anna were born and Kalaignar Karunanidhi lived and Mr. Modi’s tricks won’t work here. He said the Chief Minister had started talking about social justice now. It was DMK regime which provided reservation for all communities.

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