AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami criticized Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for allegedly claiming credit for welfare measures introduced by the previous AIADMK government. Palaniswami accused the current government of rebranding existing initiatives rather than introducing new schemes. He specifically mentioned the 3% reservation in government jobs for sportspersons, which he claimed was initially a 2% quota under the AIADMK regime.
Palaniswami highlighted that the 7.5% internal reservation for government school students in medical admissions was also an AIADMK initiative. He questioned Stalin’s contribution to these schemes and challenged him to focus on his government’s achievements instead of taking credit for past programs. Palaniswami concluded by suggesting that if there are no new accomplishments to showcase, defeat might be inevitable.
The AIADMK leader’s remarks came before the DMDK joined the DMK-led alliance. Palaniswami did not directly address this development in his statement but indicated that he would respond at an appropriate time when asked by reporters.
