Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 19 : DMK Spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai on Thursday criticised AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami's Delhi visit, saying it raises questions about whether Tamil Nadu's government will be ruled from the state capital or controlled from Delhi.
Annadurai also alleged that the visit was to discuss seat-sharing with the BJP and called it "an assault on the pride of the state of Tamil Nadu."
Speaking toin Chennai, he said, "Edappadi K Palaniswami is travelling to Delhi, and it raises the same question which we have been asking again and again... Do the people of Tamil Nadu want a government that is to be ruled from Delhi, or do they want a government that rules from Chennai? The answer is very clear; we want a government that is ruled from Chennai, not remotely controlled from Delhi."
Alleging that the visit was to discuss seat-sharing with the BJP, DMK Spokesperson said, "Edappadi is summoned to Delhi to discuss how many seats will be given to the BJP. What kind of power dynamics is happening here? People of Tamil Nadu are watching all of this. In every possible opportunity, Amit Shah has pointed out that it is going to be an NDA government. He never once said that it is going to be an AIADMK-led alliance... I would say this is an assault on the pride of the state of Tamil Nadu."
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that Tamil Nadu would go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4.
The Model Code of Conduct has come into effect immediately, with the initiation of the election process for the 234-member state assembly, whose current tenure ends on May 10.
The main electoral contest is expected between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes DMK, Congress, and Other parties, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is also set to make his political debut in this election with his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won with 133 seats. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) followed with 66 seats. Congress stood at 18 seats. The state saw a voter turnout of 76.6 per Cent.
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