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CM Palaniswami resumes poll campaign day after no to coalition govt
Though the BJP, its national ally, hasn’t contradicted the AIADMK’s decision, it is yet to formally reciprocate on the continuing alliance and Palaniswami’s candidature.
Chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami resumed his 2021 assembly election campaign on Tuesday from Namakkal district, a day after ruling out the possibility of the AIADMK heading a coalition government after the 2021 Assembly election in Tamil Nadu. However, he maintained that all constituents of the AIADMK-led alliance that fought the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are together. The AIADMK partnered with the BJP and other regional parties to fight last year’s general elections.
“As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, people will not accept a coalition Cabinet. That is the AIADMK’s stand,” Palaniswami had said on Monday after landing at the Coimbatore airport addressing for the first time the question of power sharing.
Though the national ally hasn’t contradicted the AIADMK’s decision, it is yet to formally reciprocate on the continuing alliance and Palaniswami’s candidature. BJP state leaders had in previous months made comments on running a coalition government and picking the next chief minister of Tamil Nadu.
AIADMK’s chief ministerial candidate Palaniswami, launched the party’s campaign Tuesday titled, “Vetrinadaipodum Tamilzhagam’ (Tamil Nadu’s victorious march) by meeting people door-to-door and addressing the public. He will present a ‘report card’ of the party’s achievements over the last ten years since it has been in power and a vision for the state. December 19 was Palaniswami’s first day of campaigning which he kicked-off from his home constituency in Salem as the AIADMK seeks a third consecutive term in the ensuing assembly elections.
When asked about BJP not formally endorsing him as the chief ministerial candidate, Palaniswami had told reporters Monday that the AIADMK made the announcement (in October) as they were starting the election campaign.
BJP’s state president L Murugan had met Palaniswami at the state secretariat on Monday morning to submit 50-lakh signatures they received in support of the New Education Policy. Following the meeting, Murugan told reporters that the AIADMK-BJP alliance was strong and that all questions on the alliance will be answered in two-three days. This came after AIADMK’s public meeting on Sunday in Chennai when AIADMK’s deputy coordinator K P Munusamy had lashed out against critics of the Dravidian rule and national parties. “There is no scope for a coalition government and there is no need for it. If any party comes to us with that intention, I urge you to rethink,” Munusamy had said on Sunday.
Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam had announced in November in the presence of union home minister Amith Shah that their alliance with the BJP will continue. Since then the BJP’s state leaders have said that it is procedure only for their national leadership to take decisions and make public announcements.
