Giving a sense of the possible Lok Sabha election schedule in Tamil Nadu, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry E M Sudarshana Natchiappan on Saturday indicated it could be among the last to go to polls.
“The Election Commission might announce a six-seven phase Lok Sabha poll schedule. Since Class X and Class XII Boards are likely to be over in Tamil Nadu by April 12, the State could go to polls during the last phase,” he said. So, the Congress will take its take time to announce its poll alliance in Tamil Nadu, he claimed, while speaking to reporters after a function in which 647 acres belonging to the salt department were transferred to Kamarajar Port (previously Ennore Port).
The minister also described Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as a symbol of destruction and claimed the BJP won’t be able to form a government at the Centre.
Reacting to DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s friendly overtures to Modi, he said the Dravidian leader has many friends.
But when it comes to alliance, he will stick to his party’s principles, he said.
Meanwhile, Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan on Saturday said that Kamarajar Port would build a salt research institute and an arch to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi’s Salt Satyagraha movement on the 647.8 acres of land acquired by Kamarajar Port.
Speaking after the signing of agreement to transfer 647.8 acres of the salt department’s land to Kamarajar port besides signing of memorandum of understanding with Indian Oil Corporation for development of LNG terminal, Vasan said that the salt land, worth `483 crore, would be put to good commercial use.
Meanwhile, Natchiappan assured full support to the Tamil Nadu government’s monorail project.