Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 6 : Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday said that the political situation in Tamil Nadu has significantly changed following the formation of the NDA alliance and after the seat-sharing arrangements ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
Addressing the media here, he asserted that people in the state are now looking towards the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.
Reddy claimed that the people of Tamil Nadu are opposed to "family rule, corruption, and anti-democratic decisions", and are seeking a governance model focused on development and employment generation.
"People of Tamil Nadu want development. They want employment. They want a double-engine government," the Union Minister said.
"In the Tamil Nadu coming elections, after the formation of the NDA, after seat adjustment and seat sharing, the situation has changed everywhere in Tamil Nadu. People of Tamil Nadu want Narendra Modi's and EPS's leadership. Definitely, the people of Tamil Nadu are against the family rule, against the corruption, against the anti-democratic decisions. Tamil Nadu people want development. Tamil Nadu people want employment. Tamil Nadu people want a double-engine government", he said.
"Under the leadership of the EPS and PM Modi, our allied leaders are definitely going to form a good government, a development-oriented government, a non-corrupt government, and an employment generation government", he added.
Earlier in the day, Piyush Goyal labelled the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government "corrupt", stating that the MK Stalin government was harmful for the people of Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to ANI, Goyal said, "This (DMK) is a corrupt government. This government has to go. This government has been very harmful to the people of Tamil Nadu. After the election, if by mistake, people also vote for DMK, Udhayanidhi Stalin will become the Chief Minister. It's time for the NDA to come to the government to serve the people of Tamil Nadu."
He also criticised DMK for not implementing the Centre's schemes, and claimed that Stalin was attempting to divide the country.
The polling for single-phase Tamil Nadu assembly elections is scheduled to be held on April 23, with counting of votes set for May 4.
The main electoral contest is expected between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which also includes Congress, DMDK, and the VCK, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by AIADMK with the BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is set to make his electoral debut with TVK, attempting to turn the upcoming elections into a three-way contest.