CHENNAI: Declaring that past differences had been buried, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday said he and AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran were united by a common political legacy and a shared objective of ending what he described as a corruption-ridden DMK regime in the State, rivals sharing the stage for the first time after 8 years.
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“We are all children nurtured by Amma,” Palaniswami said, invoking the legacy of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. He acknowledged that differences had existed earlier but said they had ceased to matter after the decision to reunite. “Once we decided to come together, those differences disappeared. Today, we stand on the same platform,” he said.
The remarks were made during a joint press conference at the Madurantakam public meeting venue, shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded an NDA rally there.
Palaniswami said a groundswell of support is emerging for the AIADMK-led alliance due to public anger against the ruling dispensation. “People have rejected this government. Tamil Nadu has turned into a land of protests. Cleanliness workers, farmers, government employees, part-time teachers and doctors are agitating every day,” he said, alleging a breakdown of law and order and an unchecked drug menace across the State.
Dhinakaran said reconciliation efforts had been underway for years but gained momentum recently, calling Edappadi Palaniswami 'Annan' (elder brother). He said Prime Minister Modi had urged them to come together to defeat what he termed an anti-people DMK government. “I agreed the very day he asked,” he said, adding that there was no coercion or pressure within the alliance.
Dismissing questions on past rivalries, Palaniswami said that if parties that had once accused each other of repression could align, there should be no issue among them. “We have joined hands to end corruption and dynastic politics, and we will succeed,” he said.
Taking a swipe at the ruling DMK and its allies, Palaniswami questioned the ideological consistency of the DMK’s alliance with the Congress and MDMK leader Vaiko. He recalled that DMK leaders themselves had spoken about the suffering they endured under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) brought by the Congress, and said Vaiko had been among the harshest critics of Chief Minister MK Stalin in the past.
Anbumani Ramadoss described the Madurantakam meeting as a strong beginning towards regime change. “Within the next two months, Tamil Nadu will witness a major political shift. People have already decided to remove this government,” he said.