TIRUCHY: With the campaign for urban local body polls gaining momentum, the issue of NEET has taken the centre stage once again. Until February 4, the deadline for filing of nomination papers for the urban local body polls, NEET was not a major talking point. Within a week however, it snowballed into a serious issue in the campaigns, thanks to Governor RN Ravi returning the Bill adopted by the government on the floor of the Assembly.
AIADMK's campaigns focus on three allegations - the DMK government not fulfilling its poll promise of giving monthly aid of Rs 1,000 to female heads of households, the government's substandard Pongal gift package which did not contain cash assistance like the previous year (when each ration card holder got Rs 2,500), and the continuation of NEET against the DMK's assurance of nixing it.
The DMK's campaigns have focussed on the free bus passes for women, lockdown relief fund of Rs 4,000 and grocery items distributed to every ration card and effective handling of the pandemic. While the AIADMK has been revving up the argument that the DMK has been 'inefficient' in scrapping NEET, the ruling party has been boasting about re-sending the Bill to the Governor in six days.
Chief Minister MK Stalin, during his virtual campaigns, has been spending ample time countering the charge of Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami that NEET stemmed from the UPA government in which the DMK was a part. "Can Palaniswami show me one exam centre in Tamil Nadu where NEET was conducted under the previous DMK rule," Stalin asked, adding that the test entered the State only during Palaniswami's rule.
Meanwhile, speaking in Tiruchy on Friday, former Chief Minister and AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam said, "The DMK is unable to do away with NEET. It is only paying lip service." Amid all charges and counter-charges, only the BJP has been supporting NEET.
BJP functionary Gowtham, whose wife Kesavarthini is contesting on a BJP ticket for Tiruchy Corporation councillor post in Ward 51, said: "NEET enabled poor children to get enrolled in medical colleges. We explain this to people during our canvassing." However, the campaigns by major parties such as the DMK and the AIADMK against NEET have eclipsed the BJP’s voice supporting it.