The AIADMK’s organisation secretary and former Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar on Wednesday said the departure of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) from its alliance did not mean “any loss” to his party.
“The loss is theirs [PMK]” Mr Jayakumar told journalists after taking part in an event to mark the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai here.
Answering questions on reported observations of the PMK founder S. Ramadoss that the AIADMK did not “honour the alliance dharma” and did not have a “proper leadership,” Mr Jayakumar said the PMK had “authority” to decide on continuing its alliance with the AIADMK but “we [AIADMK] cannot accept any criticism levelled against our leadership. If this situation continues, we may also have to criticise them [PMK]. We do not know under whose compulsion they have taken the decision,” the former Minister quipped.
Pointing out that the difference between votes polled by the DMK and the AIADMK in the Assembly election was narrow, Mr Jayakumar asserted that his party’s votebase had not suffered “any erosion.”
Ensure free and fair polls: EPS
Meanwhile, the AIADMK co-coordinator, Edappadi K Palaniswami has sent a representation to State Election Commissioner V. Palanikumar, listing several areas of concern and calling for measures to ensure that rural local bodies’ elections in 9 districts were held in a “free and fair” manner.
The conduct of the polls in two phases was “bereft of any reason” and “unnecessary,” he said, recalling that even the Assembly poll for 234 constituencies was held in a single phase. Observers for the polls should either be those from the Central government service or officers from outside Tamil Nadu to ensure “absolute neutrality” in the conduct of the polls.
Mr Palaniswami called for the installation of CCTV cameras in and out of strong rooms for the protection of ballot boxes and deployment of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) or Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) units. Static surveillance teams should be stationed, besides there should be prohibition on illicit stocking of liquor. Several nodal officers may be posted for every ward, the former Chief Minister suggested to Mr Palanikumar.
Exemption from NEET
In a separate statement, the AIADMK coordinator, O. Paneerselvam, said that as elections for the posts of President and Vice-President would be held next year, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, given the backdrop that the alliance led by his party had 38 Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, should exert “sufficient pressure” on the Central government for exempting the State from the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test and ensuring the admission of candidates to the course of medicine on the basis of performance in the 12th standard.
In another statement, he wanted the Chief Minister to take steps for the arrest of all persons involved in a reported incident of attack at a teashop in Soorakottai of Thanjavur district. He pointed out that there were still two persons, belonging to the ruling party, who had not yet been arrested in connnection with the incident.
