Chennai, Dec 27 The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu kickstarted its 2021 Assembly poll campaign here on Sunday with its leaders terming DMK as a dynastic party working for the welfare of only one family and sacrificing the state's interest on various inter-state water disputes.
They also alleged some national parties are targeting the state after the death of AIADMK General Secretary J. Jayalalithaa and late DMK chief M. Karunanidhi.
AIADMK's Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam questioned DMK President M.K. Stalin on the projects that were brought to Tamil Nadu when the party was in power.
Pointing out the state's share in the central taxes at about Rs 1 lakh crore, Panneerselvam asked Stalin on the projects were brought by DMK to Tamil Nadu when it shared power at the Centre for 16 years.
He said the DMK brought projects like hydrocarbon exploration to the state and which were stopped by the AIADMK government by announcing the Cauvery delta region as agri zone.
Panneerselvam also said the party is friendly with the central government headed by BJP as it was able to get various schemes/projects for the state like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), 11 medical colleges and other schemes and the state is getting investments as the law and order is good.
He said when DMK did not do anything for the livelihood of the people, the AIADMK went to court whenever the state's interests were affected and cited the Cauvery river water dispute with Karnataka and the Mullaperiyar dam issue with Kerala.
Panneerselvam said people need food, clothing and shelter and the AIADMK government is providing the same in the state in the form of free rice and housing schemes.
He said about 5-6 lakh houses are being built in the state for the poor and by 2023, 11 lakh houses would be built.
Panneerselvam urged the partymen assembled at the YMCA grounds here to tell the people of the failures of the DMK.
"The present AIADMK government is not having any bad name and it has only goodwill. The good name has to be converted into votes. Tomorrow is ours," Panneerselvam said.
On his part, Joint Coordinator and Chief Minister K. Palaniswami said AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) and former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa worked for the people whereas the DMK worked for the benefit of one family.
Palaniswami, without naming Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, said enemies of AIADMK are now invoking MGR's name.
Criticising Stalin for spreading lies about AIADMK government, Palaniswami said 2,000 mini clinic scheme is being implemented to provide health care facility to the poor.
He also said 11 new medical colleges will be opened next year which in turn would add about 1,650 medical college seats. This in turn would enable about 448 students from government schools to get admission under the 7.5 per cent reservation scheme.
Palaniswami said the government focussed on water management and had built check dams across the state and the water bodies are full.
He also listed out schemes like free ration and financial assistance of Rs 1,000 for the poor during the Covid-19 lockdown and Rs 2,500 cash gift for Pongal festival that falls in January 2021.
According to him, the state has attracted Rs 60,000 crore worth of investments.
"We will chase out our enemies in the ensuing poll war," Palaniswami said.
Terming the 2021 Assembly polls as important, AIADMK's Deputy Coordinator K.P. Munusamy said there are leaders who are saying there is a possibility of change in the state away from the Dravidian parties after the death of Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi.
Rejecting such predictions, Munusamy said Tamil Nadu is the land of rationalist movement leader Periyar and the Dravidian movements did not allow the national parties in the state for the past 50 years.
Munusamy said many are calculating that they can win the 2021 polls but fail to recognise that Tamil Nadu politics is different from other parts of the country.
While AIADMK officially started its 2021 poll campaign on Sunday, Palaniswami had begun his campaign from Salem district earlier.
( With inputs from IANS )
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