Chennai: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has appealed to voters in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies, where by-elections are being held, to “punish treacherous thinking” at the ballot box.
In a statement, Palaniswami alleged that after the Assembly election, the TVK formed a minority government despite not having enough MLAs to form a government on its own, relying on support from other parties.
He claimed that the by-elections were necessitated because “backdoor” moves and horse-trading had undermined democratic norms. He further alleged that those responsible for the “betrayal” are again contesting on the TVK ticket.
Calling on voters to deliver a fitting lesson, Palaniswami urged the electorate to defeat the candidates he described as disloyal, and to send a strong message so that such “betrayal” does not recur, according to the statement.
