COIMBATORE: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday said his party will never change its decision to walk out of the BJP-led NDA. “It’s our final decision. We will never change our stance on this,” he said.
Addressing media persons in Salem, Palaniswami said BJP leader VP Duraisamy’s “alliance to continue” statement was his personal opinion. “AIADMK broke up with BJP in deference to party’s two crore workers’ sentiments,” said EPS adding his party will form a “mega” alliance for Lok Sabha polls and win all 40 seats from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
The AIADMK leader also denied speculations that the BJP sought to project its state president K Annamalai as the chief ministerial face. “I wish to clarify that AIADMK did not ask for a change in BJP’s state leadership. Also, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the party’s national president JP Nadda or Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn’t pressurize us with any such demands or anything on seat-sharing,” he said.
On AIADMK MLAs’ meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, EPS said they met to raise and resolve issues faced by coconut farmers. “It has nothing to do with politics. Even the DMK ministers meet the BJP leaders in Delhi. Does that mean they are coming together?” he asked.
Palaniswami also termed as ‘drama’ the forming of INDIA bloc, saying it was a coming together of parties with contrarian views and that the bloc was not even taking shape.
“The AAP, headed by Kejriwal, has announced candidates for Madhya Pradesh elections...TMC supremo and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says there is no understanding with Communists there...Kerala CM (Pinarayi Vijayan) says we (Left) are not allying with Congress. So is the case with AAP-ruled Punjab and Delhi,” he said.
He also termed as “utter lies” the DMK claims of having fulfilled 90 per cent of 520 poll promises while fulfilling just 10 per cent of them.