DMK president M.K. Stalin on Sunday launched "We reject the AIADMK" campaign and called upon party workers to visit villages in their area for ten days from December 23.
"Our goal is Mission-200 (Assembly seats). A party requires just 117 seats to form the government. But we are contesting not to secure just 117 seat. It will not make us proud. We cannot contend with even one seat less than 200," he said while addressing 1659 party workers from all the 234 Assembly constituencies.
Mr. Stalin said he would launch his campaign from January 2021 as there were reports that the election could be advanced. "We have to prepare ourselves for the campaign early. The high-command will take care of alliances and candidates. Only those capable of winning the elections will be our candidates," he said.
Reiterating that achieving victory was not magic and could not be secured easily, Mr. Stalin said the true victory would be repeating the performance of the DMK and its alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in which they won 39 seats.
"The DMK could have won the Assembly elections in 2016 because the difference between the ruling AIADMK and the DMK was just one per cent. Over confidence led to our failure to capture power. So don't be overconfident. Bury the differences and bitterness among us," he said.
Mr. Stalin said excuses such as the AIADMK won by distributing money and used the police to secure victory would not help. "The ruling party has amassed money through corrupt means and industrialists who are benefitted by the government will release money. We have to break the influence of money," he said.
Mr. Stalin said DMK should win over the minds of the people. "People are angry because the AIADMK government has not done anything for their constituencies in the last 10 years. The anger will manifest itself during the election. We should remind people of the failures of the government and consequently, the fall of Tamil Nadu, during the campaign," he said.
Expressing confidence that campaigns such as Tamilagam Meetpom (Retrieve Tamil Nadu) and Vidiyalai Noki Stalinin Kural (Stalin's voice for dawning) had won the people's faith and vested confidence in the DMK, Mr Stalin said "We Reject the AIADMK" should be done in a similar manner.
"You should adopt a resolution that we reject the AIADMK with the help of people during your visit to villages," he said.
Mr. Stalin said when a secretary of the city unit visits a village, he should take along with him other functionaries. "Do not think that he contested against you in the organisational polls. Invite people the way you invite them for your family wedding. Sow in their minds the truth that Tamil Nadu was spoiled in the last 10 years. Tell them it is a shame to vote for the AIADMK," he said.
