'Karunanidhi did not trust Stalin, how will people’: Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami’s dig ahead of polls

Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami on Sunday took a dig at the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK’s) MK Stalin saying his father late Karunanidhi didn’t believe him, how will people of the state trust him.

“Karunanidhi himself didn't believe Stalin. During his last two years when he was ill, he did not hand over the party to Stalin. He did not trust his son. In such a case, how will people believe him?” Palaniswami said during a rally in Tiruvannamalai, according to news agency ANI.

The chief minister also accused the DMK of intimidating officials, reported PTI. "For the past four years, I am the Chief Minister. I have not threatened even a single official...but Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin threaten officials," he was quoted as saying. Palaniswami asked voters if such is the scenario when the DMK is not in power, what would be the situation in case power was given to them."Intimidating officials is DMK's history," he added.

Palaniswami’s statement comes on a day when Stalin said that even if the AIADMK emerged victorious in a single seat, the winner would be a 'BJP MLA’. “The AIADMK government is a slave government to PM Modi. BJP is a wash out party in Tamil Nadu. No AIADMK candidate should win in this election. If one AIADMK MLA wins, he/she will be a BJP MLA," he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Stalin is confident of coming to power this term in Tamil Nadu. Earlier in the day, his party put up a digital countdown clock in Anna Arivalayam, the DMK office building in Chennai, according to ANI. The clock has been set to May 2, 2021, the date on which the counting of votes will be held for the contest to 234 assembly seats. Along with the rising sun symbol of the DMK, the party has also put up the slogan “Stalin is coming, He will give us the dawn” atop the entrance of the building.

The southern state goes to polls on April 6 and the results will be declared on May 2.