Allies BJP, AIADMK differ on poll issues

Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s statement on Sunday regarding the implementation of the eight-lane corridor while campaigning for the AIADMK’s Salem candidate KRS Saravanan proved that the two parties were not on the same page.

Stating that the project would be implemented in the due course of time after discussions with the farmers and resolving their issues, Gadkari said, “The Madras High Court has stayed it. However, the road is very important for the development of this region.” Significantly, he made those remarks in the presence of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and PMK founder S Ramadoss.

This has come at a time when both the AIADMK, which supported the project initially only to make a U-turn, and the PMK are claiming credit for the Madras High Court order on the project.

After fast tracking the land acquisition drive for the Rs 10,000 crore project, Palaniswami during his poll campaign reversed the government’s decision and stated that it would not implement anti-farmers’ projects including the Salem-Chennai expressway.

On the other hand, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss was one of the petitioners who moved the High Court against the project. Anbumani, who is seeking re-election from Dharmapuri LS seat, said that he had filed a caveat in the Supreme Court asking it not to pass orders without hearing from the side if the State government appeals against the HC verdict. PMK spokesperson K Balu said that Gadkari’s remark has given ammunition for the Opposition parties during the election campaign. “With the State government opposed to it now, we are sure that the project will not be implemented even after the polls,” he said.

Balu lamented that such comments were being made by senior BJP leaders, thus indicating the failure of state leaders of the saffron party to convey the sentiments of Tamil people on vital issues.

Gadkari’s speech comes barely two days after his cabinet colleague Piyush Goyal poured cold water on scrapping NEET, another demand of the parties in TN. Goyal said that the exam will not be scrapped, contrary to ally AIADMK’s stated position on the issue.