Madurantakam: Commencing his bypoll campaign at Madurantakam with an attack on TVK, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday told people that he has come there “seeking justice to the betrayal he faced” because of the defection of AIADMK MLAs, engineered by TVK.He accused chief minister C Joseph Vijay of indulging in “dirty horse-trading” to save his govt. “Show courage and face us head-on instead of resorting to shameful acts,” Palaniswami told Vijay at the maiden campaign meeting seeking votes for AIADMK candidate Kanitha Sampath.Palaniswami attacked TVK candidate Maragatham Kumaravel, alleging that the bypoll was forced on the people because she “sold votes” and switched over to TVK. “You elected her on the two leaves symbol to serve you. She has negotiated and sold your vote. Will such a person serve you again? Teach the traitor a lesson,” he told voters.Palaniswami asked if “indulging in horse-trading” was the clean governance that Vijay promised. “For the first time in Indian history, an MLA resigned just 12 days after being elected and joined another party within five minutes,” he said, adding, “This election is the result of greed and betrayal.”He said the horse-trading was “unprecedented corrupt tactics” practised by TVK to stay in power. “TVK lured our MLAs like children with candy. It was disgraceful. TVK is the only party in India committing such shameful acts,” he said.Palaniswami also targeted Vijay over power cuts, rising prices of commodities, law and order issues and non-implementation of election promises.Recalling the Karur stampede, he said Vijay fled the spot even as people were dying and did not step out of his house for 72 days. “Public and the youth should think how such a political leader will protect them,” he said.Meanwhile, AIADMK legal wing secretary and MP I S Inbadurai submitted a complaint to ECI, alleging that cash distribution for voters was happening in Madurantakam and Dharapuram constituencies. He demanded a thorough probe and subsequent measures to prevent cash distribution.Ahead of Palaniswami’s campaign, TVK ministers stepped up their attack on AIADMK in Madurantakam and Dharapuram. While C T R Nirmal Kumar alleged that DMK and AIADMK had attempted to field a common candidate in the bypoll to defeat TVK, K G Arun Raj in Dharapuram accused AIADMK of getting TVK’s candidate in Edappadi constituency to quit in the recent assembly election.
