EDAPPADI: DMK’s attempts to break the alliance between AIADMK and PMK had failed, said AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday. “Stalin’s dream of breaking the alliance has been shattered. This election will mark the end of his rule,” EPS said while campaigning in the Edappadi assembly constituency with PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss. Palaniswami painted a grim picture of law and order in Tamil Nadu under the DMK rule. He said there were 18,000 sexual assault cases, including nearly 7,000 Pocso cases, in the last five years of DMK rule. He said the spread of narcotics was the reason for the high number of crimes in the state. “If AIADMK returns to power, ganja will be eradicated within three months. Women and children will be protected,” he said. EPS highlighted his govt’s initiatives for farmers and weavers, including subsidized electricity, housing schemes and textile support policies. He pledged to expand these initiatives further. He contrasted these with rising prices of essential commodities under DMK rule, accusing the government of profiting from commissions while ordinary families suffered. Anbumani appealed to voters to ensure EPS’s victory by the largest margin in the state. “Within two weeks, Edappadi Palaniswami will take charge as chief minister,” he said. Anbumani accused the DMK of presiding over unprecedented crimes against women and children, arguing that only EPS’s return could restore safety. He emphasized EPS’s identity as a farmer, contrasting it with Stalin’s alleged disconnect from agriculture, and promised new irrigation projects if the alliance came to power. Anbumani underlined EPS’s record of establishing 11 medical colleges and 3,000 govt schools, contrasting it with what he described as DMK’s failures in education and healthcare.
