Curtains came down on a swift but eventful campaign for Mayoral election on Tuesday.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is pinning its hopes on development projects worth Rs. 2,378 crore announced for the city by Chief Minister Jayalalithaaa.
Ruling party’s candidate P. Rajkumar says the move to allocate such a huge sum for one city was without any precedent. The foundation for the third Pilloor scheme has now been laid and this will soon result in round-the-clock water supply.
He told the voters that multi-level vehicle parking will soon come up.
Ramping up the infrastructure in the newly-added Corporation areas is also a priority, he says. For the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), corruption and development comprise the highlights of the campaign, with the party also hoping to cash in on the ‘Modi’ factor.
The party’s Mayor candidate R. Nandha Kumar says he will eradicate corruption by introducing e-governance. All the services of the Corporation will be taken online through a dedicated website ‘My Kovai.’
Coimbatore will be included in the 100 Smart Cities, which the Centre has promised to develop. He expresses confidence that the people of the city will not be swayed by the “cash distribution” of the ruling party. The AIADMK has denied distributing cash to influence voters
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is hoping to capitalise on what is terms as the residents frustration with corruption in the administration of the Corporation.
Whether it is to name change of properties, tax assessment or applying for new water connection, corruption and middlemen rule the roost, says the CPI (M) candidate C. Padmanabhan.
“I will work to remove middlemen from all areas of administration. Timely removal of garbage from the trash containers, round the clock water supply and easing traffic congestion through bridges will be my priorities,” he says.
