COIMBATORE: Former AIADMK minister and Thondamuthur MLA SP Velumani, on Tuesday, said that Coimbatore South constituency has changed into a VIP constituency and they have to win the elections, as it is a dignity issue. Velumani made the statement in reference to DMK Western Region incharge Senthil Balaji being in the race for Coimbatore South constituency.
Speaking at a meeting organised at a marriage hall in Puliyakulam in the city to introduce Coimbatore South candidate Amman Arjun on Tuesday, he added that despite the constituency being changed into VIP constituency, the AIADMK candidate is always the same.
"Two more seats were additionally given (Avinashi to BJP and Madathukulam to AMMK) to the alliance party members in this election when compared to the last 2021 assembly elections. Last time, three seats, Coimbatore South, Udhagamandalam, and Dharapuram, were given to the BJP.
"The AIADMK alliance will win all the 21 seats in Coimbatore, Nilgiris, and Tiruppur districts. We won 16 constituencies in the previous election. If other districts had performed like Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Nilgiris, we would have come to power," he said.
"BJP government has given Rs 63,000 crore for metro train works, and 11 medical colleges were sanctioned during the previous AIADMK regime when EPS was the CM. However, no medical college was sanctioned during the DMK regime. Moreover, when compared to other areas, a greater number of houses under the Housing for All scheme were given to Tamil Nadu district, and it was done by the central government," Velumani said.
"Party cadres joining with the alliance party leaders should work continuously for the next 20 days, setting aside internal problems. Our enemy is only DMK, and the AIADMK cadres should follow the instructions of BJP where the BJP candidate is contesting," he said.
SP Velumani dared the DMK western region incharge and Coimbatore South candidate Senthil Balaji to conduct a meeting in the constituency and explain whether he has done any projects for the people of Coimbatore South. "Amman Arjun was approachable, and he knows issues of the constituency as well as each and every voter," he said. Amman Arjun, while speaking at the meeting, said that he will approach the voters' houses if they have problems despite his house being located on Chetti Street, which is just two km away from the constituency.