While announcing the formal kick start of Assembly election campaign of DMK, party chief M K Stalin said the people of Tamil Nadu want the state to be secular and will not allow BJP to grow clout. He also declared that if voted to power, the first 100 days of his government will be dedicated to resolve issues faced by people.

Stalin announced on Monday that he would kick start a new initiative “Ungal Thogudhiyil Stalin”,(Stalin in your constituency) touring all 234 constituencies to interact with people.

“I promise you one thing: solving your problems is my first duty. The first 100 days of my government will be dedicated to resolve your issues on a war-footing manner. That’s my responsibility,” Stalin said while addressing the media at the residence of his late father and DMK doyen M Karunanidhi in Gopalapuram. If voted to power, a seperate department under him will be created to process petitions at a districtwise level and ensure all issues are addressed, Stalin said.

Hitting out at the ruling AIADMK, Stalin alleged the party’s rule has slipped to abyssmal depths in all sectors”, including investment and employment generation, while the state’s debt burden stood at Rs 5 lakh crore.

Meanwhile announcing his Assembly tour plan, Stalin said that the initiative will start on 29 January from Thiruvannamalai. During the event, people from the respective constituencies can submit their complaints in the complaint box arranged. This will be sealed after every session. The constituency tour will be held for 30 days.

He announced that people can also place their complaints and requests online at the “Stalin Ani”, official website of the DMK chief, or by contacting the phone number announced.

A recent survey result, the IANS C-Voter Battle for states survey, which came out recently predicted that DMK will make a strong comeback in Tamil Nadu, winning a ‘comfortable’ majority.

Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu is expected in April or early May this year and it is likely to be more stormy than before with main opposition DMK stepping up its attack on the AIADMK government in its poll campaign over a range of issues including corruption allegations.

Sasikala’s release: Expelled AIADMK leader V K Sasikala, serving a jail term in Bengaluru in a corruption case and presently under treatment for coronavirus, will be released from prison on Wednesday “according to all our expectations,” her nephew T T V Dhinakaran said on Monday.

With the former aide of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa recuperating in a Bengaluru hospital, her discharge from the medical facility will be made known later, he said in a tweet.

Independent legislator Dhinakaran, Sasikala’s nephew said his aunt was recuperating from coronavirus and that her discharge from the hospital will be made known later after consulting doctors. Sasikala, under treatment at Victoria Hospital, had been earlier moved out of the ICU there after her virus symptoms reduced.

She had contracted coronavirus on 20 January.