In a PR-blistering on the same day, both the DMK and the BJP have issued full page advertisements in all the leading newspapers in Tamil Nadu. The DMK questioned the Centre’s step motherly treatment to Tamil Nadu, while the BJP highlighted inter alia various beneficial schemes it has provided to the State in the last ten years.
This comes in the last leg of the campaigning to the Lok Sabha elections scheduled to take place in the State on April 19.
The DMK’s advertisement questioned, “Why is it like this for Tamil Nadu?,” raising issues like the increase in petrol and diesel and the Centre not releasing funds for disaster relief. “Should they [the BJP] rule our country again? Think and vote.”
The DMK questioned, the Centre said every year employment would be provided to two crore people. Where is 20 crore employment in the last ten years? Just a single stone was placed at AIIMS at Madurai. Why? Price of a gas cylinder has increased to ₹818 from ₹440. Why?
The BJP’s advertisement in turn says, “Let Modi’s good governance continue. Modi’s Guarantee and once again Modi government.”
The BJP’s advertisement talks about the Centre’s allocation of ₹10.76 lakh crore to Tamil Nadu in the last ten years for various welfare schemes. It talks about women empowerment schemes, farmers development, industrial development and fund allocation for relief measures.
The BJP said it provided ₹1.46 lakh crore allocation for Tamil Nadu’s ports; ₹43,935 crore for National Highway projects; ₹5,338 crore for smart city missions and ₹30,692 crore for various railway projects. A sum of ₹2.87 lakh crore was provided for as low interest loans to MSMEs and ₹21,961 crore for disaster relief.
With just five days to go for the polls in the State, political analysts were surprised to see such a blistering attack by the DMK on the Centre, and the BJP’s response. “Was it a coincidence or both parties knew about each other well that, such an advertisement will appear and was prepared for it,” said Sundar, a resident of Madurai.