Chennai, Feb 13 (IANS) The opposition AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, which is mired in controversies over the allocation of its election symbol ‘Two Leaves and the fight between two of its powerful leaders, Edappadi K. Palaniswami and O. Panneerselvam, is campaigning hard for the Erode East Assembly bypoll scheduled on February 27.
The campaign of the party and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), of which it is part, is focusing mainly on the ‘failure’ of the DMK government to execute and implement its poll promises made in 2021.
AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, popularly known as EPS, have been speaking about the failure of the M.K. Stalin government to implement its poll promises, including abolishing NEET and Rs 1,000 per month into the account of women in the state who are below the poverty line.
The former Chief Minister also said that the power tariff hike has led to the failure of several industries, including the power loom sector which was a major money earner in Erode district.
The AIADMK candidate and former MLA K.S. Thenarassu has also stressed on the hike in property tax and power tariff and how these have affected the lives of the common man.
The BJP has also been active in the constituency and the party’s state unit chief, K. Annamalai, will campaign in the constituency on February 19 and 20.
Erode is a stronghold of the powerful Gounder community and AIADMK is expected to reap its benefit as Palaniswami is one of the tallest leaders from the community.
However, the DMK still has the edge as the deceased MLA, E. Thirumahan Everaa, had won the seat by a margin of 8,924 votes in the 2021 Assembly elections.
In addition to this, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) leader and superstar Kamal Haasan has extended support to the DMK-led front. MMM had managed 10,000 votes in the 2021 polls.
The DMK front candidate for the seat is E.V.K.S. Elangovan, father of the deceased legislator, which again is a positive factor for the front.
–IANS
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