Ahead of April 9 polls, BJP national president Nitin Nabin pledged to develop Puducherry. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami warned against DMK over alleged looting of liquor revenues. BJP leader A. Namassivayam criticised Congress on the Statehood issue.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin addressed a public meeting at Thavalakuppam in Manavely constituency on Sunday. He said the party was committed to making Puducherry a developed region by implementing the Prime Minister's promises and the 20-point agenda in its manifesto for the April 9 polls.
The next NDA government would provide a ₹3,000 top-up to the PM-KISAN ₹6,000 assistance, totalling ₹9,000 for farmers, Nabin said. A dedicated portal called ‘Thiran Paadhai’ would conduct quarterly employment drives and offer 10,000 internships with ₹10,000 monthly stipends. Fishing ban period assistance would increase from ₹8,000 to ₹12,000. He noted that the Prime Minister laid the foundation for projects worth ₹2,700 crore on March 1.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, campaigning for two AIADMK candidates as part of the NDA, urged voters to be wary of DMK. "Voting for DMK will lead to the looting of the U.T. government’s income" from the liquor business, he said, citing the TASMAC scam in Tamil Nadu. He pointed to seat-sharing tussles within the INDIA bloc, with partners contesting against each other in Puducherry.
At a press conference, BJP leader and Home Minister A. Namassivayam said Congress has no moral authority to discuss Statehood, having ignored the demand while in power at the Centre and Puducherry. The AINRC-BJP government filled around 3,000 vacancies transparently without complaints, he added. BJP's Khushbu Sundar held a roadshow for candidate E. Theeppainthan in Ossudu. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address a meeting at Thirukkanur on Monday.