CHENNAI: Expressing joy over the DMK’s victory in Erode East by-election, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday said every household in Tamil Nadu directly benefited from the government’s welfare schemes, and the people have experienced these improvements. He expressed his gratitude to the voters of the constituency and DMK’s allies.
In a statement, Stalin said, “Since 2021, the government has implemented several progressive schemes for the welfare of the people,” he said. In a jibe at the opposition parties, without naming them, the chief minister said, “Even before the election, the opposition parties, sensing their inevitable defeat, chose to retreat rather than face the people - a fact that Tamil Nadu had already foreseen.”
Drawing a parallel between the DMK-led alliance and the opposition AIADMK, Stalin asserted the former has been enjoying electoral victories since 2019, while the AIADMK has been suffering consecutive defeats, making its absence in the poll fray, starting from the Vikravandi bypoll a predictable move. AIADMK’s continuous failures have left it demoralised, and it is gradually fading away from the people’s mind.
At the public meeting held in Avadi, Stalin termed the victory as a “big one” on Periyar’s soil. “All those who contested against the DMK lost their deposit,” he added.
However, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami termed DMK’s by-election victory as fake and f, as no major opposition party was “won through fraudulent means”. The votes of the public and also those of the AIADMK men in the constituency were cast by DMK members, he alleged.
TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai said, “This victory is a lesson to divisive and regressive forces that seek to disrupt social harmony and unity.”
CPM, CPI, VCK also expressed joy over the results.