SALEM: In what could make alliance partners uncomfortable, the Desia Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) women’s wing secretary Premalatha has stressed that the party’s first alliance was with the people.
At a public meeting organised here on Saturday night to explain the election manifesto released at the party’s state conference in Kanchipuram, Premalatha stressed on the importance the party had laid on public support. There was hardly any mention about the role and importance of the PWA leaders in her hour-long speech replete with criticism about the DMK and the Chief Minister. “It was with the tryst with the public that the DMDK was able to morph into a political party and establish itself as an alternate to the DMK and AIADMK,” she said.
She added, “Though we are in alliance with the People’s Welfare Alliance, our main alliance is with the public,” stressed Premalatha. She appealed to the youth to come out largely in support of the DMDK through social media platforms.
Explaining the DMDK’s election manifesto, the contours of which were largely focused on social welfare rather than development, Premalatha said employment generation for youth, social security for farmers, weavers and senior citizens would be given priority. Interlinking of rivers will be the flagship project and the first signature of the new government after assuming power will be for all the above mentioned key priorities, she added.
Premalatha talked about reducing the price of petrol to `45 a litre and diesel to `35. The highway toll gate fee, which is being hiked periodically will be reduced. Sand mining and theft will be stopped and the environmental impact on ground water will be arrested. Despite good rains, no visionary project for water management had been put in place by the AIADMK and the DMK governments. These governments could not resolve river water disputes with neighbouring States, she said.
Village revival scheme in 12,620 villages, door delivery of ration, `3 lakh worth government bonds for every person, government-sponsored pongal week with jallikattu as a main attraction, `1 lakh marriage gift, `2 lakh soft loan for young women and jobs for 25 lakh women were some of the other highlights she spoke of.