NDA to win 210+ seats in Tamil Nadu, says Palaniswami

SALEM: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Monday filed his nomination from the Edappadi constituency, a seat he has won five times, expressing strong confidence in his alliance’s electoral prospects.

Speaking to reporters, Palaniswami asserted that the AIADMK remains the principal opposition party in Tamil Nadu and dismissed claims by actor-politician Vijay’s TVK suggesting otherwise. “Such statements only reflect their lack of understanding of the political ground reality,” he said.

Projecting a decisive victory, he stated that the AIADMK-led NDA alliance is poised to secure more than 210 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections. He also confirmed that he will take part in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign rally in Kanyakumari scheduled for April 15.

On alliance developments, Palaniswami noted that talks with the DMDK did not conclude as expected, resulting in last-minute changes in political alignments.

Targeting the ruling DMK, he alleged that several welfare schemes introduced during the previous AIADMK regime have been discontinued. He promised that these initiatives would be revived if the alliance returns to power.

Referring to recent political controversies, Palaniswami said, “Udhayanidhi runs a CBSE school himself. If they operate a school, they will allow the language of their choice. An audio clip of DMK MP A Raja went viral, and I merely responded to it. Why criticise me instead of addressing him?” He added that the DMK should focus more on governance issues within the state rather than engaging in national-level confrontations.

Later, addressing a rally in Perambalur, Palaniswami hit back at Chief Minister M K Stalin’s remarks, stating that while he is often labelled a BJP “ally,” former DMK chief M Karunanidhi had earlier praised Narendra Modi. He also criticised the DMK’s alliance with the Congress.