AIADMK-BJP alliance to continue in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: The AIADMK’s alliance with the BJP would continue in the 2021 Assembly Elections, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam categorically declared in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a government function in Chennai, organized to launch projects worth Rs 67,758 crore in Tamil Nadu, on Saturday.

Dedicating the Kannankottai- Thervoy Kandigai reservoir to the nation, besides laying the foundation for a slew of high-profile projects, including the Chennai Metro Rail phase 2, Shah took a swipe at the Congress-DMK alliance, saying that they had no right to speak about corruption.

Shah’s, who addressed the crowd in Hindi, praised Tamil for its antiquity and culture and regretted that he could not speak in the ancient language. His speech was translated in Tamil by a BJP leader.

The Narendra Modi government at the Centre had fought against corruption, dynasty and caste politics in all these years, said Shah, urging the people of Tamil Nadu to teach a lesson to those practicing dynastic politics like the people of some other States in India had done.

Paying encomiums to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for their efficient handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and also their excellent performance in many other areas like water management, the Union Home Minister expressed the hope that the government would continue.

He said the people of the State had stood by the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister and the Centre would also support them.

‘To the DMK leaders who have been accusing the Centre of doing injustice to Tamil Nadu, I want to ask what they had done to the State in the 10 years of Congress rule when they were in an alliance with that party,’ Shah said.

The BJP government had made three efforts to improve the life of farmers and acknowledged the support it received from the Tamil Nadu government towards that.

Palaniswami, in his speech, urged the Centre to give permission for its project to link the rivers within the State and said the State gave top priority for water management. The Thervoy Kandigai reservoir that was declared open by Shah was one of the many things that his government had done during its tenure, he said.

The efforts of the government had led to the groundwater table of the State going up, the Chief Minister said, adding that all efforts had been made to control the spread of the Coronavirus and also revive the economy that went down due to the initial lockdown. The government was treading carefully, he said.

He lauded Narendra Modi for his efforts to make India a superpower and attributed the growth of the nation to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.

Describing the Home Minister as a modern day ‘Chanakya’, Panneerselvam said Shah had become the Home Minister at a young age. He said the State was able to implement many developmental schemes because of the cordial relationship it had with the Centre.

The present electoral alliance would continue and the AIADMK would sweep the next Assembly elections, he said.