CHENNAI: Former BJP state unit president K Annamalai exuded confidence that AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami will be sworn in as Chief Minister after May 4, while campaigning for NDA candidates in the city on Monday.
Rejecting the charge that an AIADMK victory would mean a proxy BJP rule, Annamalai said, "The AIADMK is contesting 169 seats. The BJP is contesting only 32. The proxy-rule claim is baseless."
On campaigns by chief ministers of other states and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Tamil Nadu, Annamalai said, "None of them is seeking votes for the continuation of the MK Stalin-led government. Their campaign is centred only on keeping the BJP out. Nowhere are they showcasing the DMK government's achievements."
He described the DMK-led alliance as fragmented. "Rahul Gandhi and Stalin have not shared a stage. The alliance is scattered like coconuts broken outside a temple," he said.
Predicting the downfall of the DMK-Congress alliance and TVK, Annamalai claimed that an NDA wave is sweeping the State. He said the political climate in Tamil Nadu had shifted significantly over the past two weeks. "There is a clear NDA wave. Anti-DMK sentiment is visibly strong in south Tamil Nadu, the Kongu belt and the Delta districts," he said.
Annamalai said women voters were prepared to back Prime Minister Narendra Modi for enacting 33% reservation for women in Parliament. Public anger, he added, was mounting against the Congress and DMK for blocking it.
Predicting a decisive mandate, he said the BJP and its allies would secure a large number of seats when the results are declared on May 4. "People are determined to vote the DMK out," he said.
Asked about a cabinet berth if the BJP wins, he said, "We are confident of victory. Discussing portfolios now is premature."