Chennai: Criticising the ruling AIADMK for alleged malpractices during counting in ten to 12 Assembly segments during the 2016 general elections in Tamil Nadu, the DMK president M K Stalin said that he would rather wait for the Madras High court to announce the outcome of the vote recount from Radhapuram constituency on a petition filed by the DMK candidate, M. Appavu.
Addressing a group of AMMK men led by Bharani Karthikeyan from Pudukkottai district who joined the DMK at the party headquarters here on Saturday, Stalin said though the social media was speculating on the outcome of the votes recount in front of the Madras High court judges, propriety demanded that the DMK wait for the formal announcement of the result by the court to avoid any 'contempt'.
In the last general elections to the State Assembly, it was similar 'malpractices' in about a dozen constituencies which led to the DMK not being able to win a majority on its own to the form the government, he reminded. “We lost by a vote difference of mere 1.10 per cent against the AIADMK,” Stalin reminded. He was confident that the DMK and its allies would win the ensuing by-elections from both Vikravandi and Nanguneri constituen-cies.
Mr. Stalin alleged that the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu was a “virtually a BJP regime”, as the ruling party here was only implementing all the policies of the BJP government at the Centre, like in trying to impose Sanskrit in Anna University, Hindi issue, Neet exam issue and with regard to the Sterlite closure row, besides allowing oil and gas majors to prospect for finds in the Cauvery delta.
“The mandate of the people in 2016 polls was for Ms Jayalalithaa only and not for Edappadi K Palaniswami,” the DMK leader said.
He reiterated his appeal to party cadres not to erect banners for public functions, not to fall at his feet or offer him shawls; instead if they wished, they could present books, he added.
Mr. Stalin also appealed to the workers to work hard for DMK to come back to power.
