NDA coalition doesn't seem to know who leads, says TN CM targeting PM’s Madurai rally

Chennai, Mar 2 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday claimed that the NDA in the state did not seem to know who headed the coalition as both the AIADMK and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were speaking in divergent voices.

Targeting the Prime Minister's speech at the NDA rally in Madurai on March 1, the chief minister said the PM spoke of forming the NDA government, while AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami who claims to lead the NDA, has been insisting that the AIADMK would form the government.

"With Palaniswami seated on the dais, the Prime Minister spoke of forming an NDA government. It is a coalition that does not even seem to know who leads whom. That is why, when I launched my poll campaign, I had said that the upcoming election would be NDA vs Tamil Nadu," Stain said while speaking at 'The Week Tamil Nadu Leadership Summit' here.

But some criticised him for describing the poll battle in Tamil Nadu as a contest between Tamil Nadu (represented by the DMK) and the NDA, he said.

"Every time the Prime Minister or Home Minister Amit Shah visits the state, they would affirm what I say: TN team vs Delhi team. Tamil Nadu will certainly win and the Dravidian model 2.0 government will be formed. Then we will break our own record," the CM said.

On Modi’s charge that the DMK government delayed the Maduravoyal elevated corridor project, Stalin refuted, saying that it was the AIADMK, BJP’s ally, that had opposed this project.

"We took up the case with the Centre and initiated the project and work is progressing now," he said. PTI JSP KH