Former minister and AIADMK leader Sellur Raju criticised the DMK government for raising electricity tariffs three times during their tenure, framing the hikes as a burden on voters who supported DMK in the last parliamentary election. He also raised safety concerns for political leaders following the assassination of NTK leader Balasubramanian in Madurai. 


Former Minister Raju said, "The DMK government in its tenure has increased the electricity tariff three times. They have given the electricity tariff hike as a gift to the people who voted for the DMK in 40 constituencies in the last parliamentary election." 


The power tariff revision in Tamil Nadu, announced on Monday, was part of the state's efforts to mitigate financial losses accumulated over the years, according to the state-run discom TANGEDCO.


Raju also expressed concerns about the safety of political leaders in the state, following the assassination of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) leader Balasubramanian in Madurai. "We are afraid to walk on roads in Madurai because political leaders are being assassinated; they are not safe in Tamil Nadu," he said.






 


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The 48-year-old Balasubramanian, who served as the Madurai district deputy secretary of NTK, was brutally hacked to death near the residence of IT Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan. This incident came just days after the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) state chief K Armstrong in Chennai.


In response to these issues, Raju announced that the AIADMK would hold protests across Tamil Nadu. "On behalf of AIADMK, we are going to hold a protest across Tamil Nadu against the hike in electricity charges and the assassination of political leaders," he declared.


Raju also expressed confidence in his party's prospects in the upcoming assembly elections. "The people of Tamil Nadu are ready to overthrow the DMK government. AIADMK will win the upcoming assembly elections and come back to power," he added. The Assembly elections are scheduled for May 2026.


Meanwhile, the DMK and its alliance have secured all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the last parliamentary election.