Latest news with #MakkalaiKappom
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Amit Shah had never said coalition govt would be formed in TN: EPS
Edappadi K Palaniswami CUDDALORE: Former chief minister and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday said his decision would be the final in the AIADMK front. Speaking to reporters in Chidambaram during his state-wide tour titled 'Makkalai Kappom, Thamizhagathai Meetpom,' Palaniswami said Union home minister Amit Shah had never said a coalition govt would be formed in Tamil Nadu but had only said AIADMK alliance would form the govt. 'There will not be a coalition govt. I never said it would be a coalition govt. If people misunderstood, that's not my fault. I've clearly said — AIADMK leads the alliance. I am the head of the alliance. I decide. So, if people ask who will be chief minister — it will be EPS (Edappadi K Palaniswami). If people are asking questions to stir controversy or create division in the alliance, it won't work. AIADMK leads. EPS will form the govt. The alliance is united. It will win a grand victory and form a majority govt,' said Palaniswami. Palaniswami said the party and its allies would consider if PMK wanted to join the alliance. 'I only said PMK can join the alliance if they want. What's happening in PMK is their internal issue. We don't interfere in that,' he said. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai He said late chief minister J Jayalalithaa had launched the Amma Scheme during her tenure and revenue officials went to each village, collected petitions from the people and resolved their grievances. 'Now Stalin has pasted a new sticker and branded it as 'Ungaludan Stalin' (Stalin with you). Why didn't he do it for the last four years?' Palaniswami asked.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Ungaludan Stalin is an attempt to hoodwink people, says Palaniswami
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday called the Ungaludan Stalin scheme an attempt to hoodwink the people in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly election. He was addressing a large gathering at Kunnam in Perambalur district as part of his State-wide Makkalai Kappom, Thamizhagathai Meetpom road show. He said the government had drafted officials of various departments to receive petitions when only a few months were left for the election. The scheme was aimed at deceiving the electorate into voting for the ruling DMK. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had been concerned only about his family since he entered office in 2021 and launched the scheme now. 'Why didn't he reach out to the people for so long,' he asked. Ungaludan Stalin was similar to the exercise undertaken by Mr. Stalin when he was the Leader of the Opposition in the run-up to the 2021 election. What was the need for launching a similar exercise when he and his party men had already received petitions. It was nothing but an attempt to hoodwink the people, Mr. Palaniswami said. Furthermore, the initiative was nothing new. Former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had drafted all revenue officials to receive petitions from the people at their doorsteps. It had been copied and launched as a new scheme to get publicity, he said. Mr. Palaniswami alleged that the DMK government had failed in maintaining law and order. There was no safety for the people. Murders, murders for gain, dacoity, and crimes against women and children were the order of the day. Since the DMK assumed office in 2021, the State had witnessed more than 7,700 murders. Mineral wealth was being looted by the government. A farmer was murdered and another sustained grievous injuries in an assault by the sand mafia in the Manmangalam taluk of Karur district on July 13, he alleged, urging the people to vote out the DMK. Earlier, interacting with farmers and representatives of farmers' associations in Ariyalur district, he said the AIADMK government had provided three-phase power supply to the farmers throughout the day. However, it was stopped by the DMK government. The DMK government had discontinued several other schemes meant for helping the farmers improve productivity. The AIADMK government had provided subsidies to the farmers to buy modern agricultural machines. To prevent malpractices, applications were received online for the selection of beneficiaries. This practice had been halted and only hand-picked farmers were being given the benefits. All the schemes introduced by the AIADMK government for the benefit of farmers would be revived once the party returned to power, he said.
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
EPS launches campaign for 2026 polls with BJP, takes jibe at Stalin
Leader of Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) launched his statewide tour on Monday for the 2026 assembly elections flanked by BJP leaders standing atop the campaign vehicle with him. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami, along with BJP state president Nainar Nagendran and Union minister of state L Murugan, during a rally on Monday (aiadmk/x) BJP state president Nainar Nagendran and Union minister of state L Murugan, stood on either side of EPS as he justified the two parties coming together earlier in April after a bitter separation for 19 months. Hailing EPS as the future chief minister, Nagenthran said the BJP-AIADMK combination was a natural alliance. Addressing a huge crowd at the roadshow taken from the Gandhi Statue to the bus station, Palaniswami took a dig at chief minister MK Stalin saying 'some people will get fever after watching this massive roadshow.' EPS kicked off the statewide tour of the campaign titled 'Makkalai Kappom, Tamizhagathai Meetpom' (we will save people and retrieve Tamil Nadu) from AIADMK's citadel – the western region of Tamil Nadu – from Coimbatore district. Murugan also hails from the western region and had preceded Annamalai as state BJP chief. EPS pointed to a double standard in Stalin over BJP and questioned him if he remembered that his late father and five time chief minister M Karunandihi had allied with the BJP to contest the 1999 Lok Sabha polls and the 2001 assembly polls. Stalin has been criticising the AIADMK for aligning with the BJP saying that EPS has mortgaged the rights of the state . 'If the BJP allies with you (DMK), it is a good party. If we (AIADMK) form an alliance with the BJP, will it become a communal party?' EPS questioned. 'You can't raise a finger at my four-and-a-half-year government, and that's the reason you try to bring in this communal angle. You have nothing to say against us except claiming the BJP is a communal party,' he said while addressing the crowd from a special coach designed for his campaign.' 'There is no doubt that the AIADMK-BJP alliance will achieve a Himalayan victory in the next elections. We will form the next government by dislodging this anti-people DMK government,' he added. In the first phase of the campaign, EPS will cover 38 assembly constituencies in the western, northern, and central parts of the state. In the coming months, he is expected to cover all 234 assembly constituencies. EPS' campaign criticising the DMK regime over corruption, a deteriorating law and order situation and not fulfilling election promises comes after Stalin launched a door-to-door campaign to reach about 20 million households in the state to talk about the government's welfare programs. The AIADMK-BJP alliance showing up together for the rally is significant for two reasons. One, it comes amid tensions since Union home minister Amit Shah has said that they will form a coalition government led by the AIADMK following the 2026 elections which the latter has not accepted. Secondly, the AIADMK broke off the alliance with the BJP in 2023 blaming its then state chief K Annamalai for insulting Dravidian leaders and he has not campaigned alongside EPS. After J Jayalalithaa's death in 2016 in office, succeeded by EPS, the AIADMK has not won any election. After coming together ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the AIADMK and BJP fought the 2024 Lok Sabha elections separately. AIADMK registered a 20.4% vote share in one of its worst performances while BJP contesting in more number of seats registered one of its best performances in Tamil Nadu registering a 11.4% vote share. The two parties as well as expelled AIADMK leaders O Panneerselvam and TTV Dhinakaran have not decided to fight the 2026 assembly polls under the banner of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to be led by the AIADMK to ensure that the anti-DMK votes do not split and they defeat the ruling government. The DMK took a jibe at EPS by releasing a 39-second satirical video titled 'Eat 5 Star, Do Nothing' also coinciding with World Chocolate Day. The video showed a look alike of EPS eating a five star chocolate bar as he scrolls through television channels critical of the BJP on issues such as the three-language policy, NEET, the delimitation exercise but keeping quiet. At the end of the video, a voiceover says, 'Eat 5 Star, do nothing,' criticising the AIADMK of being silent on these issues that affect Tamil Nadu.
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Join hands to defeat DMK, says EPS
Chennai: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday issued an indirect invitation to TVK to join the AIADMK-led alliance for the 2026 assembly election after actor Vijay said he would neither align with BJP nor DMK . Palaniswami said those who wish to defeat DMK can join hands with him. "Our only intention is to remove DMK govt, which is anti-people. Those parties who have the same intention should join hands with us and face the election. We are happy to align with such political parties, and they too should cooperate with us," Palaniswami said while interacting with reporters at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai. He was responding to a question on whether AIADMK would invite TVK to join its alliance to defeat DMK. Asked about Vijay's remarks that he would not align with DMK or BJP, EPS said, "Only Vijay should be asked about this and not AIADMK." You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai Palaniswami released details of his state-wide tour programmes titled 'Makkalai Kappom, Tamizhagathai Meetpom' (We will save people and get back Tamil Nadu), which is set to start at Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district on July 7 (Monday). The logo and song of the campaign were also released on Saturday at the party headquarters. "This is not merely an election campaign but to root out DMK," Palaniswami said. Criticizing DMK's 'Oraniyil Tamil Nadu' campaign, Palaniswami said, "DMK has been pushed to a pathetic situation. It has been forced to knock on every door to add members. In every party, people would join voluntarily, but DMK is approaching every house and asking people to join the party." EPS wrote a letter to the people of the state, saying "under DMK there has been much distress in the past four years that people of all sections were affected". The objective of 'Makkalai Kappom, Tamizhagathai Meetpom' campaign is to defeat DMK and form an AIADMK govt with absolute majority, he said.
