Coimbatore is no longer an AIADMK stronghold, Tamil Nadu Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise, V. Senthil Balaji, said on Saturday.
“The recently-concluded urban local body elections have established that Coimbatore is no longer an AIADMK stronghold. This will get reinforced in the Parliamentary as well as the Assembly elections in the coming years,” he said, at a press conference in the city.
People voted for the DMK because they had faith in the Chief Minister and because of the trust they reposed in his governance. The CM had seen that the people had great expectations from the DMK government when he met them to receive petitions, and also seen how satisfied they were after the government addressed the issues they had raised in those petitions, the Minister said.
It was unprecedented in Coimbatore history that a government had reached out to 25,000 persons through various schemes. This happened the last time the Chief Minister was in the city, Mr. Balaji pointed out, and said that the government, functioning as per the Chief Minister’s dictum, would work in such a way as to fulfill the needs of everyone.
It was wrong to allege that the election was not held in a fair manner for CCTV cameras were installed at all polling booths and the footage was available. The election was held in a fair and transparent manner, he said.
Mr. Balaji, along with senior party leaders in the district interacted with the councillors-elect to identify the next Mayor and chairpersons of the Coimbatore Corporation. “It is for the party leadership to take the final decision,” he replied in response to a question on the candidate for mayorship.
The DMK was for a clean and transparent administration in local bodies and had advised the councillors to work for the people’s welfare, the Minister said. He had asked the councillors to prepare five-year plans, to be implemented year-wise. Once they finalized the plans, he would talk to the Chief Minister for funds to implement these plans, he said.
Asked if there would be action against AIADMK leaders for their role in alleged irregularities in the Corporation, Mr. Senthil Balaji said this could be decided only after a thorough inquiry.
