AIADMK Leader Palaniswami Reaffirms Support for Minorities Amid BJP Alliance

During an election campaign in Mettupalayam, Coimbatore district, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami asserted that his party remains committed to supporting minority communities despite its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He argued that political alliances do not imply ideological cohesion, countering DMK accusations of partnering with a communal force by citing the DMK's past and present alliances with diverse parties. Palaniswami criticized the incumbent DMK government, led by M.K. Stalin, for alleged corruption, deteriorating law and order, and hindering industrial investment. He promised to eradicate ganja within three months and implement direct cash transfers to poor families, contrasting this with the DMK's coupon system. The AIADMK-led NDA alliance aims to unseat the DMK, focusing on development projects like the second phase of the Athikadavu Avinashi scheme. Palaniswami urged voters to support NDA candidates in the region, including BJP ministers and AIADMK contenders, emphasizing national unity under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and rejecting the narrative of a conflict between Tamil Nadu and the Central government.