Kanimozhi accuses TVK of defections that forced Tamil Nadu byelections

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam parliamentary party leader K. Kanimozhi has accused the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam of “stealing” elected representatives and causing byelections in two Tamil Nadu Assembly constituencies. Speaking while campaigning for DMK candidate I.

Paranthamen in Maduranthagam, Kanimozhi said the byelections in Maduranthagam and Dharapuram had resulted from actions by a party that had presented itself as a clean political force. She appeared to refer to AIADMK MLAs who resigned, later joined the TVK and are now contesting the byelections on its tickets. Kanimozhi said the TVK should have stopped after forming the government rather than taking legislators from parties that had been part of the DMK alliance.

She urged voters to choose representatives who would remain with their party after being elected. Referring to a previous defection, she warned that voting for the AIADMK again could lead to another byelection if the candidate changed allegiance. Kanimozhi said DMK president M.K.

Stalin had selected Paranthamen to defend Dravidian ideology and remain with the party. She also said that arrests and what she described as oppressive measures had not persuaded DMK leaders to change sides. The DMK leader criticised Chief Minister C.

Joseph Vijay’s campaign methods, alleging that he had campaigned among children and asked them to persuade their parents to vote for him. She also accused the chief minister of trying to cover up the death of a girl in Vandalur because it could affect his campaign in Madurantakam. She alleged that another girl had been sexually assaulted and said Vijay had not discussed the case.

Kanimozhi further claimed that Tamil Nadu had recorded hundreds of crimes against women and children, along with murders, custodial deaths and honour killings, during the four months since the TVK came to power. The supplied material contains no response from the TVK or the chief minister to those allegations.