Chennai, April 21 (IANS) A.N.S. Prasad, spokesperson of the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP, on Tuesday claimed that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is witnessing a strong surge in public support across Tamil Nadu as campaigning for the Assembly elections concluded.

Prasad in a statement said the NDA — led by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and comprising the BJP, PMK, AMMK and other allies — is heading towards a decisive mandate.

He expressed confidence that AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami would form the next government after the results.

Prasad pointed to large turnouts at rallies addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari in cities such as Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchirappalli as evidence of the alliance’s growing momentum.

At the same time, Prasad criticised the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and its alliance with the Congress, alleging a lack of coordination between the partners.

Referring to campaign events involving Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he claimed that he did not consistently share the stage with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin during his recent visits to the state.

According to Prasad, Rahul Gandhi addressed meetings in districts including Tiruvallur, Ranipet, Tiruchirappalli, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari, but made limited references to Stalin in his speeches.

He alleged that such instances reflected internal differences within the DMK-Congress alliance. The BJP leader also cited certain campaign incidents and remarks by opposition figures to argue that the ruling alliance was facing discontent among its partners.

However, the DMK and its allies, including the Congress led by Mallikarjun Kharge, have rejected these allegations, asserting that their alliance remains united and focussed on governance and welfare initiatives.

Polling for all 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. The elections are expected to witness a direct contest between the DMK-led alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA.

—IANS

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