DMK and AIADMK spar over poll promises

Chennai: DMK and AIADMK have accused each other of copying their poll promises and welfare programmes. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday alleged that the DMK, which was "sticking the DMK label on AIADMK's schemes", now started "copying" the political strategies of the AIADMK too. Nevertheless, the DMK govt failed to fulfil its promises, he alleged.

To cover up the DMK govt's failure to secure adequate funds for key infrastructure and development projects, including the proposed metro rail schemes in Madurai and Coimbatore, chief minister M K Stalin was blaming the Union govt, EPS said. EPS said people across Tamil Nadu were waiting to vote the DMK regime out of power.


"Is Stalin ready to list out the projects implemented for the welfare of TN in the last 5 years and seek votes based on that? If he does that, DMK will not get 2.0 but only 0," EPS said.

DMK minister Thangam Thennarasu countered the charge, saying it was AIADMK which was copying poll promises of DMK.

Thennarasu said even those who do not belong to the DMK said that AIADMK announced poll promises that were already executed by the DMK. "They can make poll promises. But only the DMK can fulfil the promises," he told reporters at Virudhunagar.

DMK functionaries elaborated the charge, stating that EPS criticised Kalaignar Mahalir Urimai Thogai, which offers Rs 1000 every month for women, but announced that AIADMK will provide Rs 2000 for homemakers. After Stalin announced that priority would be given for jallikattu bull tamers in govt jobs, EPS announced Rs 10 lakh for the family of those who are killed during jallikattu, DMK men said.

Another scheme that DMK men accused the AIADMK of copying was free bus travel in govt buses. While DMK implemented free bus travel for women, AIADMK announced that men will also be offered free bus travel. AIADMK's promise to waive off student education loans was also part of DMK's 2021 promise, they said.