DMK youth wing secretary and Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party cannot win even a single Lok Sabha seat in Tamil Nadu in the upcoming Parliamentary election.
Speaking in Tirupattur town, as part of election campaign to garner votes for DMK candidate C.N. Annadurai for Tiruvannamalai Lok Sabha constituency that includes Tirupattur and Jolarpet towns, Mr. Udhayanidhi said even if Mr. Modi decides to stay in the State for the election, still the BJP cannot win a single Lok Sabha seat in Tamil Nadu as the saffron party had failed to fulfil its poll promises even after being in power for 10 years, while the DMK had fulfilled all the election promises within three years after forming the government.
“His [Mr. Modi] last visit to Tamil Nadu was during the 2019 Lok Sabha election. He also laid the foundation stone for AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) in Madurai then. Thereafter, only now, he has been frequenting the State because of the upcoming election,” he said.
The Minister slammed the BJP government at the Centre for being the most corrupt by citing the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report on mismatch in expenditure by the Centre. “In its report, the CAG has pointed out that there is no accounts for an expenditure to the tune of ₹7.5 lakh crore by the Centre. BJP has no right to talk about corruption,” he said.
The DMK youth wing secretary lashed out at the Union government for steep price rise of essentials, including LPG cylinders, cereals, petrol and diesel. The prices of essential items have gone up in the past 10 years when the BJP government was ruling at the Centre. A slight reduction in price, especially LPG cylinders, will not cut the ice among voters, who have been affected by the inflation over a decade, he said.
On the other hand, Mr. Udhayanidhi said the Dravidian model of the State government has been implementing several welfare schemes since it came to power in May 2021. Around 17 lakh schoolchildren benefited everyday under the breakfast scheme. Likewise, of the total eligible 1.6 crore women in the State, 1.16 crore women were getting ₹1,000 monthly financial assistance under Mahalir Urimai Thittam ( Women’s Rights Grant Scheme). “Those who were eligible but were not getting the assistance under the scheme will be covered soon once the Lok Sabha election is over. I will personally take up the issue and ensure that all eligible women get financial assistance under the scheme,” he said.
Later in the day, Mr. Udhayanidhi campaigned for DMK MP D.M. Kathir Anand contesting in Vellore constituency in Vaniyambadi, Ambur, Gudiyatham and Vellore town.
