BJP Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should assume office for the third consecutive time to bring political change in the State, and end the “dynasty rule”.
Addressing a gathering in Kilpennathur - a farming area near Tiruvannamalai town, as part of his “En Mann, En Makkal” roadshow, Mr. Annamalai contended that M. K. Stalin is the Chief Minister and his son, Udhayanidhi Stalin, is the Sports Minister only because they belong to the family of late DMK patriarch, M. Karunanidhi. He claimed that the existing posts were not based on merit.
“The upcoming general elections will serve as the foundation for political change in the State [Tamil Nadu], to end the corrupt rule of the DMK,” Mr. Annamalai said.
He accused the State government of not solving pressing issues in the district, including Kilpennathur that has over 8,000 acres of farmland, with paddy and groundnuts as main crops. Despite visiting the district twice - in August 2022 and October 2023, Mr. Stalin came only to inaugurate new buildings and colleges of his cabinet colleague and the Minister for Public Works, Highways, and Minor Ports E.V. Velu, who is also the local DMK strongman and elected from Tiruvannamalai assembly constituency, he claimed. “Minister Mr. Velu is the ATM (Any Time Money) of the DMK party as he funds the party whenever it needs financial support. He also amassed wealth to a tune of ₹5,442 crore,” Mr. Annamalai alleged.
He slammed the government for registering cases against farmers, who protested against the proposed expansion of SIPCOT near Cheyyar town, under Goondas Act, 1982. Industrial projects like SIPCOT should be set up in dry and arid areas of the district rather than in cultivable lands that have plenty of groundwater. Villages that were identified for the proposed SIPCOT expansion project was one such fertile land, he said.
He also listed achievements made during the nine-year rule of Mr. Modi during his roadshow. Providing subsidies for housing schemes for 57,400 poor families, LPG connection at subsidy for 2.32 lakh beneficiaries and construction of 2.8 lakh toilets in houses that do not have such a facility in the district are some of them, he said.
