Salem meeting
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) chaired a consultation meeting of party functionaries at the party office near Omalur in Salem district on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters later, he launched a series of criticisms against the ruling DMK.
Power purchase allegations
EPS alleged that a power procurement tender in which electricity was bought at Rs 20 per unit had corruption concerns, and claimed it was cancelled. He further alleged that the government is now purchasing power at Rs 35 per unit after creating an “artificial power shortage”, calling it a “mega corruption” plan.
Claims on bypoll and alliances
Referring to the Dharapuram by-election, EPS said the victory margin was only about 20,000 votes despite the presence of alliance partners such as the Congress, VCK and the Muslim League. He also cited remarks by Communist leaders supporting the DMK, alleging that money distribution took place during the bypoll.
Attack on ministers and governance
Responding to claims by DMK minister Aadhav that over 1,000 AIADMK union secretaries would join the ruling side, EPS alleged the DMK had moved from “horse-trading” at the Assembly level down to the grassroots. He said politics has two kinds of people—politicians and “political businessmen”—and placed ministers Aadhav and Nirmalkumar in the latter category. EPS also criticised the cancellation of several Public Works Department tenders, saying projects were left halfway and future tenders would become costlier due to rising construction material prices, calling the government a “dummy” administration lacking governance capability.
