People of Tamil Nadu have an impression that the DMK is an “evil force”; so they will not allow the party to rule the State, AIADMK co-coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Saturday.
He was speaking after opening a ‘temple’ built in memory of former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa at T. Kunnathur near here. Mr. Palaniswami said the two leaders had helped a lot to uplift the poor. Hence, even after they died, people wanted their party to lead the State.
“With the support of the people and the blessings of the two leaders, we will win in the 2021 election,” he said, thanking Amma Peravai coordinator and Revenue Minister R.B. Udhayakumar for helping to build the ‘temple’ on a 12-acre site.
Presiding over the function, AIADMK coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam said it was not the AIADMK that wanted to defeat the DMK but the people of the State who did not want that party to return to power because it was considered an “evil force”.
He said criticising Hindus after elections and claiming to be a devout Hindu before or on the eve of elections had become a fashion statement for DMK president M.K. Stalin.
“He may go behind the people with the ‘Vel’ [a spear] now but he cannot come to power as he dreams,” he said. People know how the DMK will behave if it is voted back to power, having been kept out of office for 10 years, he said.
Mr. Panneerselvam said that burying differences, the AIADMK should emerge victorious in all 234 constituencies in a tribute to Jayalalithaa, who wished that the party would stay in power for 1,000 years.
Mr. Udhayakumar said many multi-national corporations preferred investing in the State, in a sign of good governance by the AIADMK.
The people would not vote for the DMK, which had hired “consultants” to win the election, the Minister added.
Earlier, the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister were accorded a rousing reception at the Thirumangalam Toll Plaza from where they reached the venue in an open jeep, waving to the crowd.
