CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday appealed to voters to support his party in the 2026 Assembly elections to put an end to what he termed as the DMK’s dynasty politics.
Addressing the 'Makkalai Kaapom Tamizhagathai Meetpom' campaign in Tiruttani, he said the AIADMK alliance would win 210 seats in the next polls. He accused the ruling DMK of failing on multiple fronts, including price control and farmer welfare.
Palaniswami said the cost of essential commodities had risen sharply under the current government, causing hardship to the poor and middle class.
He alleged the administration had failed to procure paddy on time from farmers. He pointed to pre-poll promises, including Rs 2,500 per quintal for paddy and Rs 4,000 as minimum support price for sugarcane, and said they remained unfulfilled.
He also accused the government of inaction against crime, claiming that drug peddling and cases of kidney theft involving ruling party members had exposed its failures in maintaining law and order.
Palaniswami criticised the government for failing to protect weavers' livelihoods and promised that an AIADMK government would address their demands if elected in 2026.
Referring to the DMK’s 2021 manifesto commitment to increase working days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act from 100 to 150, he said the promise had not been implemented. He claimed it was the AIADMK that had previously appealed to the Centre, leading to an increase in working days from 100 to 125.
Palaniswami called on the public to give the AIADMK a decisive mandate, asserting that only his party could ensure development and protect the people's interests.
Meanwhile, Palaniswami condemned the DMK government over the attack on a migrant in Tiruttani. He said it was a sign of the "complete collapse of law and order" in the state.
Reacting to reports that four 17-year-old boys, allegedly carrying knives, attacked a youth identified as Suraj on a train travelling from Chennai to Tiruttani, Palaniswami said the incident had deeply shocked the public.