CHENNAI: A day after Assembly elections, the leaders of two Dravidian majors - the AIADMK and the DMK - on Wednesday directed their party cadre to keep vigil over the Electronic Voting Machines kept at strong rooms till May 2, the day on which the votes will be counted.
In a statement here, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam thanked the cadre of the AIADMK and its alliance parties for their untiring election work. They said despite the irregularities of the DMK, polling in Tamil Nadu went off peacefully on Tuesday. The leaders said till the declaration of results, the cadre and agents of the AIADMK and its alliance parties should guard the centres where EVMs are kept on turn-duty basis round-the-clock.
DMK president MK Stalin, in a statement here, also thanked the cadre of DMK and its alliance parties for their election work. Referring to poll-related complaints raised from various places and how the functionaries of the DMK and its alliance parties overcame them, Stalin said, “We now have double responsibility on our heads. The strong rooms should be guarded round-the-clock on turn-duty basis till counting starts on May 2,” he added.
Meanwhile, MNM founder Kamal Haasan, in a statement, said 100% voter turnout should be the goal and our contribution towards this goal should get better in the coming elections. “Election is not an end since there is no end to service to the people. For me, this election is a new beginning and our party functionaries too have learnt many lessons. We will not deviate from our avowed objective of rejuvenating Tamil Nadu. We will always be in the field to protect this land, language and people,” Kamal asserted.