Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Jul 8 (PTI) Tamil Nadu has not witnessed new projects under the DMK rule despite an increase in state revenue, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami claimed on Tuesday.
Also, he slammed Chief Minister M K Stalin for targeting AIADMK for its alliance with the BJP and said the AIADMK would redeem the state from the clutches of dynasty rule through the Assembly election next year.
"Mr Stalin, you are dependent on your allies, but the AIADMK and the BJP are dependent on the people and hence always think and act for the people. It's the people's mandate that would make us form the government," the AIADMK general secretary said while campaigning at Vadavalli, Sai Baba Colony areas of Coimbatore in the evening.
Unlike the DMK-led camp, the AIADMK and the BJP were clear in their goal to unseat the DMK. "Union Minister Amit Shah came to Chennai and announced our alliance. He informed that AIADMK would lead the alliance and form the government. He also said the EPS (Edappadi K Palaniswami) is the Chief Minister candidate," Palaniswami emphasised.
There was clarity in his camp, but differences of opinion were beginning to emerge among the DMK's allies as they were getting afraid of defeat at the hustings, only because the AIADMK was getting stronger, he claimed.
The DMK's allies, he said, do not dare to speak against the ruling party as they have "signed the charter of slavery."
"Nobody knows whether there's a Communist party in Tamil Nadu. Its presence is diminishing and is going without address. I wish to tell them my poll campaign is meant to regain Tamil Nadu through the election next year," he said from his campaign vehicle.
"What's happening now is family rule, a government that can't solve our problems, an inefficient government. The poll will end the family rule in Tamil Nadu and also the people's suffering at the hands of one family," he further said.
Palaniswami said VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan deserved a Nobel prize for claiming that ties between the AIADMK and BJP were not harmonious. "We are united. But the difference of opinion in your alliance is emerging," he said.
Earlier in the day, the AIADMK leader commenced the second day of his campaign for the 2026 Assembly election by interacting with morning walkers at the Race Course Track, here.
He claimed that though the borrowings ought to decrease owing to increasing revenue, the ruling dispensation appeared to depend heavily on debts, he alleged.
"The debts have mounted to Rs 4.38 lakh crore during the four years of the DMK regime. And the state government is set to borrow another Rs one lakh crore this fiscal. What’s the need to borrow when the state’s revenue is increasing?" the former Chief Minister asked.
He told reporters that the government has admitted that the revenue increased to Rs 1.35 lakh crore during 2024-25.
"Though the revenue is increasing, the borrowings are on an upward swing and the state has not seen any new projects in the DMK rule," Palaniswami claimed.
He slammed the DMK regime for coming to power with false assurances and specifically mentioned that its 2021 poll promise of filling up four lakh government posts had remained unfulfilled.
“Two months ago, about 20,000 government staff retired in a single month, and 75,000 government staff have retired in the last four years. But the government has provided jobs only to 50,000,” he alleged.
During his interaction with the walkers, Palaniswami highlighted the AIADMK government’s initiatives to develop Coimbatore during his rule from 2011 to 2021.
He was accompanied by former state minister and Coimbatore strongman S P Velumani and other leaders.