The ruling AIADMK may get fewer votes in the Assembly polls and is all set to lose the privilege, thanks to the huge bag of dirty linen, the BJP, on its back, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri has said.
Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, Mr. Alagiri, who had come here to attend the party workers’ meeting at Kuththukkkalvalasai, said the BJP, which had earned the nauseating distinction of the country’s ‘most disliked political party’ by taking the country to unsalvageable depths through its policies, had become a huge bag of dirty linen for the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. The ruling party of Tamil Nadu, which would have otherwise polled decent votes in the Assembly election, was also going to be trashed by the voters because its association with the BJP.
He said the AIADMK, though it had allied with the BJP, could not get any special package from the Centre for the development of Tamil Nadu over the past 10 years, leading to closure of industries and ailing farming sector even as Andhra Pradesh and Telengana had managed to get huge sum from the Union Government. Even during the cyclones and floods, the Edappadi K. Palaniswami-led government could not get its due assistance from the Centre.
He said the Manomohan Singh-led Congress Government could sell petrol at ₹71 a litre even the crude oil price in the international market stood at 108 USD a barrel. While it is just 54 USD now, the BJP’s Narendra Modi-led Government was selling the fuel at ₹100 a litre.
“Even as our neighbours like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other countries are selling the fuel at lesser price, India’s fuel price has breached past century mark, which shows the difference in handling of the nation’s economy by the Congress and the BJP. While the knowledgeable Mr. Manmohan Singh could control the fuel price emphatically even though crude oil pricing was not favourable, Mr. Modi’s knowledge of economy has taken the country beyond salvage even after ₹20 lakh crore has been collected in the last six years to excise duty. Where did the money go?,” Mr. Alagiri asked.
He said the TNCC would decide on February 24 on the number of Assembly seats to be obtained from the DMK.
Mr. Alagiri also attended the party workers’ meeting held in Tirunelveli on Saturday night to discuss the preparations to be made ahead of party leader Rahhul Gandhi’s visit to the southern districts from February 27 to March 1.
