‘AIADMK in power, but shots called from Delhi,’ says Kanimozhi targeting BJP

Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi, who is also an MP, is confident that her party will win the Tamil Nadu state assembly polls and people will reject the ‘proxy’ government of AIADMK, which, she said, is “operated from New Delhi”.

“They (voters) definitely want a change and they believe that change is the DMK…It (EPS-led government) is becoming a government where nobody can protest, nobody can ask questions…It is becoming very dictatorial,” said Kanimozhi while speaking to The Indian Express.

When asked why the DMK is talking so much about BJP during its campaigning when the national party hardly has any presence in Tamil Nadu, Kanimozhi said, “I know the BJP is contesting just 20 seats, but there is a proxy government being run by the BJP in Tamil Nadu.” She said the AIADMK may be in power, but the shots are being called from Delhi. “So we have to attack the real owners of the government,” she added.

On the AIADMK-BJP alliance, Kanimozhi said the AIADMK government is “at their (BJP) mercy because they are worried about criminal and corruption cases pending against their leaders”.

Also read: Stalin-led DMK to emerge victorious in TN, says pre-poll survey

M K Stalin, M K Alagiri and Kanimozhi have been the beneficiaries of dynastic politics prevalent within DMK. Now, MK Stalin’s son, Udayanidhi Stalin, too is contesting the polls. When asked about nepotism, she said it is unfair to single out DMK. “The BJP has so many sons and daughters. Nobody ever talks about them. It is the regional parties that are singled out every single time,” she said, adding that family lineage may help one enter politics easily, but one needs to fight and struggle to get accepted by people.

On the political prospects of actor Kamal Haasan, T T V Dhinakaran and Vijayakanth, the Thoothukkudi MP said they cannot stop DMK from gaining power in Tamil Nadu this time. “Some of them could be in fray to help the ruling AIADMK. Make no mistake…This election is about the DMK and the AIADMK. Nobody else is a significant player,” she said.

Kanimozhi refused to say much about her brother, M K Alagiri, who is no longer with DMK. “If he is willing to meet me, I will always meet him. Politics is different. He will always remain my brother.”

Also read: Politics of religion: Is DMK’s wooing of Hindu votes a half-victory for BJP?

Alagiri had said in January that Stalin won’t be able to form a government without his support.

IT raid on DMK candidate

The DMK faced major embarrassment on Thursday (March 25) when Income Tax sleuths raided the home of sitting MLA EV Velu at a time when party supremo MK Stalin was campaigning for him in Tiruvannamalai. Simultaneous raids were carried out in Chennai on the suspicion that transactions of large amount of cash were being carried out in the backdrop of April 6 elections.

Also read: Will Pallars, long victims of oppression, now embrace the BJP in TN?

IT officials said they had “credible inputs of cash movement” during the campaign.

Velu, 70, is a five-time MLA and former state minister. A college run by Velu, where Stalin stayed on Wednesday night, was also searched.

“Conducting searches in the room where DMK chief MK Stalin stayed shows their intention. Nothing has been seized. This won’t stop our victory,” DMK general secretary Duraimurugan said.