“It is by following PM Modi’s advice that I have garnered goodwill among the people of the State,” the Chief Minister said while campaigning near Karur
AIADMK leader and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Wednesday said the support of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had strengthened the AIADMK and the Tamil Nadu government since he assumed office four years ago. Home Minister Amit Shah too, has been helping the AIADMK government, he said.
Canvassing votes for BJP’s Aravakurichi candidate K. Annamalai at K Paramathi on the outskirts of Karur, Mr. Palaniswami said that on several occasions when he met Mr. Modi, the latter had offered him a number of valuable suggestions to run the government. They had been highly helpful to him to discharge his duties and responsibilities as the Chief Minister.
“It is my first stint as the Chief Minister. Based on the first-hand experiences and the problems faced by Mr. Modi when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he offered me a number of wonderful tips to run the government. It is by following his advice that I have garnered goodwill among the people of the State,” Mr. Palaniswami said.
The Prime Minister told him how he had risen up to the top position from a humble background. “He asked me to concentrate on the development and welfare of the rural areas and the people. Despite his hectic schedule as Prime Minister, he took time to offer guidance on good governance. Taking cues from his valuable suggestions, I have implemented a number of schemes for the people living in villages,” Mr. Palaniswami said.
The Centre had contributed about 1 lakh crore rupees to develop infrastructure, especially roads in the State. It became possible only due to the cordial relations that the State had with the Centre, he said countering the accusation of DMK president M.K. Stalin that the AIADMK was acting as a slave to the BJP government at the Centre.
Growth, development and effective implementation of schemes would be possible only if the State government had a cordial relationship with the Centre. Mr. Palaniswami said it would not be possible to implement major schemes without the support of the Central government. It was with the aim of having smooth and cordial relations with the Centre that the AIADMK had entered into an electoral understanding with the BJP, he said. The AIADMK had promised the voters a number of schemes if voted to power again and they required substantial financial allocation from the Centre. This would be possible only if the State had smooth relations with the Centre, he said.
Earlier, canvassing for votes for Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar in Karur constituency, Mr. Palaniswami came down heavily on the DMK candidate and former Minister Senthil Balaji. Mr. Balaji, who had a history of switching loyalties at will, had been made a district secretary in the DMK. The irony was that Mr. Stalin had reeled out a list of misdeeds allegedly committed by Mr. Balaji, when he was in the AIADMK, in the State Assembly and sought criminal action against him. But, the DMK president had simply forgotten the charges and made him the DMK candidate.
Earlier former Minister M. Chinnasamy, who quit the DMK, rejoined the AIADMK.
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