Coimbatore: As part of the ongoing campaign for Sulur by-polls to be held on May 19, former Union Minister T R Balu campaigned on Friday seeking support for the DMK candidate Pongalur Palanisamy. He was seen campaigning in areas thronged with cotton mills and labourers.
Coimbatore: As part of the ongoing campaign for Sulur by-polls to be held on May 19, former Union Minister T R Balu campaigned on Friday seeking support for the DMK candidate Pongalur Palanisamy. He was seen campaigning in areas thronged with cotton mills and labourers.
The former Union Minister interacted with owners of textile mills at Rayarpalayam and requested to provide ‘paid leave’ to the workers on the day of polling. Later, he met with the cotton mill workers and explained the welfare schemes and manifesto of DMK. "There is no selfless leader like Kalaignar in India. After May 23, the DMK President Stalin will be the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu," he opined.
While addressing the media, T R Balu said, "In Karumathampatti and adjacent areas, both labourers and textile mill owners have expressed their wholehearted support to the DMK. Their support motivates us and is a proof of our upcoming overwhelming victory. The interactions with people here has given us immense confidence and hope."
When questioned on the allegations by the Chief Minister that DMK and AMMK share a hidden agenda, he said, "There is no secret in DMK. We believe and practise transparency. AIADMK as a party has not learnt from their mistakes. Even after taking charge as Chief Minister of a State, his thinking is very primitive." He also added that OPS has immense fear.
"In the past, none from Tamil Nadu has accompanied a Prime Minister during the filing of his nomination. None of the DMK leaders accompanied Congress to file nominations. To the contrary, OPS is running to and fro along with PM Modi seeking a way to cover up his past offences," he noted.
T R Balu categorically asserted that he did not wish to comment on the disqualification of the three AIADMK MLAs.