SALEM: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami looks tired but cheerful while sitting down for an half-hour interview with The New Indian Express. He has been campaigning for 13 hours a day for the last three weeks. His house, situated in a small lane in Nedundsalai Nagar, starts buzzing with activity as early as 8 am in the morning. Party functionaries from across constituencies troop in and out while a huddle of reporters wait for a few minutes of the Chief Minister’s time. Palaniswami hosts party workers in a small room in the house. It is a day before campaigning for the do-or-die electoral battle comes to close.
The AIADMK is hoping that the results of the elections to the 39 Lok Sabha seats and bypolls to 22 Assembly constituencies will settle questions over the party’s future. Victory in the by-elections is particularly crucial for the stability of Palaniswami’s government. Palaniswami is confident that his party will sweep the State and the mandate would strengthen his two-year-old government.
You have charged that Congress president Rahul Gandhi, while campaigning in Karnataka, had promised to build a dam at Mekedatu across Cauvery river and that the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) constituted recently would be dissolved... (Congress has denied that Rahul Gandhi made such statements)
Indeed, it is a serious issue. I have been saying that the Congress and DMK are out to betray the people of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil race as a whole. Rahul Gandhi’s recent remarks on Mekedatu dam and Cauvery Authority further prove this. If the dam at Mekedatu is built, Tamil Nadu would become a desert. The people here won’t get drinking water. I demand Stalin’s response on this.
I am sure the people of Tamil Nadu will teach a befitting lesson to the Congress and DMK in the elections. The AIADMK government will never allow the construction of a dam at Mekedatu and the dissolution of the Cauvery River Authority. Further, the State government has already filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking a full-time chairman for the CRA. As such, the AIADMK government would not allow the snatching away of any rights of the State in inter-state water disputes.
A few days ago, Rahul Gandhi said Tamil Nadu would be ruled from Tamil Nadu and MK Stalin would become the Chief Minister of the State and that they would not allow the State to be ruled from Nagpur...
Right now, only a Tamil, who is also a farmer, is leading the State as chief minister. The government machinery is being run efficiently. Law and order is maintained perfectly and, as a result, Tamil Nadu is hailed as a haven of peace.
From the time the Lok Sabha elections were notified the DMK has been flooding the Election Commission with petitions demanding the transfer of district collectors, police officials...
The DMK is doing so out of nervousness over its defeat in the elections. Government employees are neutral to all. They function under governments headed by many parties. For the sake of levelling a false allegation against the ruling party, the DMK has been unleashing charges against the government officials.
You have been campaigning for more than three weeks. How do you feel about the prospects of your alliance?
I have contested in elections, both Parliamentary and Assembly, since 1989 i.e. for close to three decades and have won many of them. The AIADMK government has many achievements to its credit. During my campaign, I could feel the emotions of our people in the way they greeted us. We will certainly register a massive win in this election and I am very confident about it.
What do you think about leaders making below-the-belt remarks about other leaders?
In a democracy, one has the liberty to criticise policies, style of functioning, etc. But, hurling indecent, unparliamentary remarks at others does not strengthen democracy. What does one gain by mudslinging? As leaders in our own right we should set an example to our cadre and our people. We must be cautious in everything we do that would have a direct or indirect impact on society. I feel sad when leaders make below-the-belt remarks. Really, it is not a healthy trend.
How do you view the Madras High Court order quashing land acquisition notifications for the Chennai-Salem eight-lane road?
The court has delivered its judgment and we will uphold it as the law of our land is supreme.
One of the charges being levelled against the AIADMK government is that it has given room for a burgeoning debt burden. How do you explain this to the voters?
It has been projected as if Tamil Nadu is the most indebted State in the country, which is totally false. We are way below several States such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, among others.
The reasons for the increase in revenue/fiscal deficit in the recent past is due to the State government taking over the debt of TANGEDCO to the extent of `22,815 crore under the UDAY Scheme, implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission and the unfair devolution formula recommended by the 14th Finance Commission. Nevertheless, the State has maintained a fiscal deficit within three per cent of GSDP.
The State government would also borrow less than the net borrowing ceiling, thereby the outstanding debt will be only 23.02 per cent of GSDP in 2019-2020. Tamil Nadu will always remain a fiscally disciplined State.
The BJP government at the Centre had failed to accede to many of the demands of the Tamil Nadu government over the past two years. How do you justify forging an alliance with that party?
The main reason why the AIADMK allied with the BJP is that we believe that the BJP can build a strong and developed nation. Most importantly, we are confident that the BJP would ensure our country’s security.
The DMK was in power at the Centre through many alliances, including one with the BJP in 1999-2004 and with the Congress-led UPA from 2004-2014, enjoying several cabinet positions. But unfortunately DMK mostly used that opportunity to strengthen the business activities of its (members’) families and friends. They could have achieved a lot for the welfare of Tamil Nadu but never did so. On the contrary, we have never associated with the Centre to enrich ourselves.
What do you think as the significant achievements of the AIADMK government on which you are seeking votes from the people now?
We have done many extraordinary things for the people of Tamil Nadu. Remember the days when power cuts for almost 10 hours were so common under the DMK? Now, Tamil Nadu is a surplus power State. Don’t forget the terrible law and order situation during the DMK’s rule! How can people ever forget the tyranny and hooliganism of DMK men?
Can anyone forget the land-grabbing activities which were so rampant during the DMK’s rule? All those things are of the past now.There is social harmony in the state, people are living peacefully, secularism is at its best, regular recruitment in thousands in a transparent and upright way is happening in government departments, excellent welfare schemes for the needy continue uninterrupted, several dozens of MOUs are signed with prospective international investors, in spite of the state suffering terrible cyclones year after year and monsoon failure, our agricultural output is the best in the country. I can go on and on. Our voters are very mature and informed citizens. So, based on the development plank, we are facing the electorate boldly.
How confident are you of winning adequate seats in the bypolls to maintain a majority in the House?
We will win in all constituencies. We have the blessings of our leaders MG Ramachandran and Amma (J Jayalalithaa). The good work we did in the past years, the efficiency of the AIADMK cadre's field work, people of my State and the grand alliance we have forged will ensure the win.
There is a perceived anti-incumbency wave against the AIADMK government as well as against the NDA government at the Centre due to various issues. How do you hope to win over that?
I strongly deny that there is an anti-incumbency wave against us in the State because, in the first place, we have given a very stable government. When there was scepticism that my government would fall within six weeks, we have provided a very stable government. We have not only continued all social welfare measures of our Amma (Jayalalithaa), we have also stepped up our efforts to support our people, particularly the weak and socially marginalised.
Enormous good work has been done in the past two years, which include reclaiming our rights in the Cauvery issue, improving agricultural productivity, maintaining the State’s status as power surplus, ensuring investments from new industries, contributing towards environment by enforcing a total ban on ‘one time use and throw’ plastics, maintenance of law and order, supporting the weaker sections of society through welfare schemes, for which we have received many awards, and so on. I am sure the people will support the AIADMK as they have been doing so far.
DMK president MK Stalin and leaders of DMK’s alliance parties have been claiming that the AIADMK government would fall once the results of the election are out on May 23..They have kept saying this ever since our Amma left us.
They are so desperate that day-in and day out, they talk only about capturing power. Many a time they had set deadlines for our government. But nothing came true. We can only pity them! I am confident that people of my State will surely strengthen my government and teach a lesson to the DMK.
Stalin has been saying his first three duties after coming to power in the State would be to investigate the Kodanad robbery, bring to book those who were responsible for the death of Jayalalithaa and those behind the Pollachi sexual assault case...
The Kodanad case was blown out of proportion with the only objective of defaming me. But people know what happened after that. Since the matter is sub judice, I would not like to comment further on that issue. The Pollachi sexual abuse case has to be condemned in the strongest terms. The government will take stringent action against the suspects no matter who they are. Some officials have been shifted out following the incident. As far as our beloved Amma’s death is concerned, we have formed an inquiry commission and are waiting for its findings.
The Election Commission squads have, so far, seized unaccounted money as well as materials worth around Rs 450 crore. What would you like to say about this?
The Election Commission is doing its duty. I have nothing to say about it.
'Security priority'
On the reasons behind AIADMK choosing to join hands with BJP, the CM said: "The main reason why the AIADMK allied with the BJP is that we believe that the BJP can build a strong and developed nation. Most importantly, we are confident that the BJP would ensure our country’s security"