'Will work as per AIADMK's own policy': EPS on BJP's TN CM candidate remark

A day after BJP denied to accept TN CM Edappadi K Palaniswami as Chief Ministerial candidate, Palaniswami said that AIADMK has its own principle and the party will act according to it.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami

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21 Dec 2020, 4:49 am

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, whose party has forged a poll pact with the BJP, on Sunday sought to differentiate between party principles and alliance, saying the latter was of primary concern for political organisations. The AIADMK co-coordinator said that his party too had its own principle and that "we will act according to it" and asked minorities to have no apprehensions.

Addressing a Christmas event organised by his party in Chennai, the CM also announced a near double hike in the government assistance provided to Christians on Jerusalem pilgrimage, from Rs 20,000 to Rs 37,000. The initiative was introduced by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa in 2011-12, he recalled, adding presently 600 persons are being accommodated every year. So far, 4,128 people have benefited.

"Every party has a principle and it works only in accordance with that. The AIADMK has its own policy and we will only work as per that," he said at the event. "Alliance is different, policy is different. The principle is permanent and the AIADMK is acting in line with it," he said. He said the members of the minority communities need not be apprehensive as the "AIADMK will protect you like a family member."

The recent statement by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami also comes at a time when BJP state unit president L Murugan on Saturday said that the BJP's national high-command will announce the Chief Ministerial candidate of the party.

However, AIADMK has announced that its alliance with the BJP, clinched during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, will continue for the 2021 Assembly elections where the ruling party is eyeing a hatrick of electoral victories, after storming to power in 2011 and retaining it in 2016.

After the event, Edappadi K Palaniswami held talks along with AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and senior leaders of the party at its headquarters in Royapettah. The leaders discussed strategies for campaigning ahead of Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2021.

Meanwhile, BJP state unit president L Murugan on Sunday backtracked and said Edappadi Palaniswami is the Chief Minister of the NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu. He also quickly added that he was talking about the procedure on Saturday wherein the BJP's national leadership should endorse the CM candidate. Murugan also assured that NDA is strong and the alliance will win the upcoming elections.

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