TN Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy publicly acknowledged that tips, guidance, advice and mentorship of Prime Minister Modi on Good governance not only helped him to strengthen the AIADMK and his government but also made his maiden stint a success against all odds.
DMK Chief M K Stalin, his son Udhayanidhi Stalin, Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi had been accusing Edapadi K Palaniswamy of being a slave to the BJP. Stalin and others were saying that ‘when former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was in power, she did not bow down to the BJP- led government at the Centre. AIADMK, which was founded by MGR and guided by the late CM Jayalalithaa has now become a ‘stooge’ to BJP. It was the BJP led government that has been dictating what the TN government should do, what language people should study and speak and even imposing language such as Hindi and Sanskrit against the wishes of the people. CM Palaniswamy is acting accordingly’.
TN CM Palaniswamy, who has countered these charges with opt replies, publicly acknowledged on 24th that the advice and tips given by Prime Minister Modi had helped him to govern and develop Tamil Nadu in a better manner. Campaigning for votes in Aravakurichi for BJP nominee former IPS officer K Annamalai, Chief Minister Palaniswamy said on several occasions when he met Modi, the latter had offered him a number of valuable suggestion to run the government efficiently. He said, ‘’ these tips and advice helped me immensely and are helpful in discharging my duties and responsibilities as the Chief Minister. It is my first stint as the CM. Based on first -hand experience, challenges and the problems ( prior to 2014) faced by Modi when he was the CM of Gujarat, he offered a number of wonderful tips to run the government. It is by following his tips and advice that I have earned goodwill among the people of Tamil Nadu. Modi shared his experiences of how he had risen to the top position from a humble background. He asked me to concentrate on the welfare of rural people. Amidst his busy schedule, he spared time to give tips and guidance on good governance. Following his guidance in letter and spirit, I have implemented a slew of schemes for the welfare of the people living in rural areas. The Prime Minister had always told me to work for the development and welfare of the people in rural segments and I have implemented a lot of schemes and programmes for the people of the villages of Tamil Nadu, which has transformed their lives”.
Underlining the need to have good relations with the Centre, CM Palaniswamy said ” The cordial relations between the Centre and state had helped TN to get Rs. 1 lakh crore to undertake infrastructure projects, especially roads”. Elaborating further the TN CM said, growth, development and effective implementation of schemes will be possible only if the state government has cordial relations with the Centre. Without the support of the Centre, it will be difficult to implement major schemes. Our aim is to have a smooth and cordial relation with the Centre. An extension of this, we have now an electoral pact with the BJP. We have promised a lot of schemes, which needs substantial financial allocation from the Centre. This will be possible only if the state has smooth relations with the Centre”. CM Palaniswamy said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah also had helped the AIADMK government, growth and development were possible only with the Centre’s support and good relations. Justifying his relations with the Centre and alliance deal, he said “even for implementing the promises of freebies and other schemes made by the AIADMK in our manifesto, it was essential to maintain cordial relations with the Centre.
Edapadi K Palaniswamy’s openly acknowledging the mentor role played by Modi is in response to the repeated accusation by DMK president Stalin, and his political heir apparent Udhayanidhi, Kanimozhi and other party senior leaders that the AIADMK was functioning as a slave to the Centre and Modi. Now the CM Palaniswamy’s open acknowledgement had set things right, leaving no leverage to the opposition to rake up this further during the poll campaigns.
