TVK lacks support of majority voters, says Udhayanidhi Stalin

Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin criticised the TVK government during the Assembly floor test, claiming it lacked majority voter support and questioning its political alliances, while also urging the new dispensation to continue key welfare schemes introduced by the previous DMK government

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday said the TVK government in the state did not enjoy the support of a majority of voters and questioned its decision to take the support of a section of AIADMK MLAs after earlier slamming the party for corruption.

In his speech during the proceedings of the TVK government’s floor test, he also urged the government to continue the welfare schemes launched by the previous DMK dispensation.

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The DMK walked out and abstained from voting during the confidence vote, which the C Joseph Vijay-led government won by a comfortable margin of 144.

With regard to the formation of the TVK government, Udhayanidhi said, “First, the majority of people did not vote for TVK.” He said that in the recently concluded Assembly elections, around 4.93 crore people cast their votes.

“Do you know how many voted for the ruling party? Just 1.72 crore,” he said, adding, “The remaining approximately 3.21 crore people voted against your party and you must understand this.”

He claimed nearly 65 per cent of the voters had “rejected” the Vijay-led TVK.

Further, he slammed the TVK for taking the support of an AMMK MLA, with his party having contested the April 23 polls as a constituent of the AIADMK-led NDA in Tamil Nadu.

“After saying they were your ideological enemy, you have secured support for this government from an MLA who contested in the BJP-led NDA alliance,” Udhayanidhi said.

He also recalled AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran’s remarks that TVK had earlier engaged in “horse-trading even before coming to power”.

Dhinakaran has sacked AMMK MLA S Kamaraj after the latter extended support to the TVK government.

Udhayanidhi said the major party in the same BJP-led NDA alliance, AIADMK, has split almost into two groups.

“A new sofa was delivered to the home of a leader from that splinter group, followed by the visit of the chief minister there. During elections, you called them (AIADMK) a corrupt force,” he said.

“What are people asking? Why has the ruling party now aligned with that corrupt force? You promised a clean government. Is this the hallmark of your clean governance? People have begun questioning,” he charged.

“Even those who voted for you have, upon witnessing these events, begun regretting their big mistake today. To express the people’s sentiment, DMK members will walk out without participating in the voting,” he said.

Earlier, listing various schemes launched by the DMK government under the leadership of M K Stalin, the LoP said more than one crore women will be waiting to receive Rs 1,000 in their bank accounts under the “Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam” next month.

The DMK leader said that as government schools will reopen on June 2, students will be waiting for food under the breakfast scheme launched by the Stalin government.

He also urged the TVK government to continue the DMK government’s free bus travel scheme for women.

Pointing to various poll promises, including providing six LPG cylinders and monthly financial assistance for women, Udhayanidhi said that after Vijay took over as chief minister, the new government should have signed files to implement at least some of these welfare schemes.

He claimed that when the DMK came to power in 2021, then chief minister Stalin’s first signature was for implementing the free bus travel scheme for women.

“Financial assistance of Rs 4,000 was also extended to the people during the second wave of Coronavirus,” he said.