AIADMK leader and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Monday said if voted back to power, the party would ask the Centre to scrap the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, based on the request from minorities.
Mr. Palaniswami filed his nomination papers for contesting in the upcoming Assembly election from the Edappadi constituency for the seventh time. He told mediapersons that as an MLA, he had worked hard for the development of the constituency.
Responding to a question on including the withdrawal of the CAA in the AIADMK election manifesto after having voted in favour of it in Parliament, Mr. Palaniswami said the party had said in the manifesto that it would ask the Centre to withdraw the Act based on requests from minorities.
Mr. Palaniswami said the manifesto had been welcomed by people from all walks of life. On the feasibility of implementing the announcements despite the debt burden of the State, he asked which State in the country was not in debt. However, development works were progressing without any delay, he said. Mr. Palaniswami said the AIADMK-led alliance was strong, adding that he would fufil the demands of the public if he wins from the constituency.
Mr. Palaniswami started his campaign in the constituency after offering prayers at the Sendrayan Perumal Temple here. He distributed pamphlets to the public near the temple and requested for votes. Campaigning at Nangavalli, Mr. Palaniswami said internet connectivity would be made available in 17,662 revenue villages in the State and people would be able to make international calls easily after that.
He also appealed to the public to take the COVID-19 vaccinations. Sharing his experience, the Chief Minister said he was doing fine after taking the vaccination.
In Jalakandapuram, replying to DMK president M.K. Stalin’s claim that they would win in all 234 constituencies, the AIADMK leader asked him to first win in Edappadi. He said [results of the election] 2016 would repeat in the 2021 Assembly election.
He said loans of up to ₹1 lakh taken by weavers would be waived off and 1,000 units of free power would be provided for power looms.
Listing out the schemes implemented by him in the constituency, he rebutted Mr. Stalin’s charge that nothing had been done. He said the DMK had included in its manifesto schemes that were already implemented by the government.
Mr. Palaniswami urged the people to compare how the constituency had changed between 2011 and 2021, adding that the constituency now looked like “Singapore”. He appealed to the people to give it the status of the “Chief Minister’s constituency” by electing him again.