Theni (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 16 :In view of the upcoming Legislative Assembly general elections, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin intensified the election campaign in Bodinayakanur, asserting that former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam's entry into the DMK-led alliance would result in a significant setback for the AIADMK leadership.
Leaders of all political parties are actively engaged in vote-gathering campaigns across the state. As part of this, Udhayanidhi Stalin campaigned at Palani Chettipatti, which falls under the Bodinayakanur Assembly constituency in Theni district, in support of former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, who is contesting as the DMK candidate from Bodinayakanur.
While speaking at the event, he highlighted the various schemes implemented by O. Panneerselvam during his tenure as MLA of the Bodinayakanur constituency. He also explained the welfare schemes and development plans that would be implemented for the public if the DMK government is re-elected.
Stalin said, "O. Panneerselvam does not need any introduction, as he is well known not only across Tamil Nadu but throughout India."
He added that "Panneerselvam is contesting from this constituency after aligning with the DMK in order to teach Edappadi K. Palaniswami a proper lesson in this election."
He urged the people to ensure that Panneerselvam wins the election with the highest vote margin in Tamil Nadu. He also stated that only if the DMK returns to power can they counter both Edappadi Palaniswami and the central government led by Bharatiya Janata Party, which he accused of showing bias in allocating funds to Tamil Nadu.
He concluded by saying that "once O. Panneerselvam is elected again as MLA from Bodinayakanur, he will effectively fulfil the basic needs of the people in the region and deliver all welfare schemes efficiently."
Meanwhile, Bodinayakanur is a key Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu's Theni district, which is set for a closely contested triangular fight, with DMK's O Panneerselvam facing AIADMK's VT Narayanasamy and TVK's S Prakash in a high-stakes battle.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, O Panneerselvam of the AIADMK won the Bodinayakanur seat with 1,00,050 votes, securing 46.9 per cent of the total vote share. He defeated Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate Thangatamilselvan, who polled 89,029 votes (41.7 per cent), by a margin of 11,021 votes (5.2 per cent).
In the 2016 Assembly elections, O Panneerselvam won the seat with 99,531 votes, securing 49.9 per cent of the total vote share. He defeated DMK candidate S Lakshmanan, who polled 83,923 votes (42.0 per cent), by a margin of 15,608 votes (7.9 per cent).