5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
'To defeat a powerful adversary, a strong alliance is vital': EPS
Edappadi K Palaniswami, AIADMK general secretary, who is on a whirlwind tour of Tamil Nadu as part of his 'Makkalai Kaapom - Tamizhagathai Meetpom' (Let us protect people, retrieve Tamil Nadu) campaign, spoke to TNIE's T Muruganandham near Courtallam in Tenkasi district in an exclusive interview. He spoke about his party's electoral prospects, the alleged failures of the DMK, and the AIADMK's stance on coalition government. Edited excerpts:
You have completed your campaign in more than 50 assembly constituencies. What is your assessment of the people's mood?
I have been able to sense clearly that the people desire a change in Tamil Nadu's politics and governance. Moreover, the people believe that only the AIADMK can bring that change. There is overwhelming support for me and the party.
You have begun this campaign eight months ahead of the election. Are there any specific reasons?
Being a farmer, I've taken to heart the saying 'kaalathey payir sei' (cultivate / sow at the right time). Doing that ensures success. Hence, I chose a reliable partnership (with the BJP) and entered the field early with them. If one starts campaigning only during the heat of the election season, it is impossible to reach out to people in all 234 constituencies.
You have expressed your concern about Tamil Nadu's debt burden. There is a perception that no government has taken concrete measures to bring down the debt. Do you have a plan?
We will cut down on extravagant spending and concentrate on welfare schemes. We will not roll out schemes for self-promotion or those that won't benefit the people.
With available resources, we will fulfil people's requirements. We are not the DMK to make promises that cannot be fulfilled. When we were in power, I used to review the fiscal situation often and devise schemes accordingly. Capex would be mostly high while lowering revenue expenditure. Borrowing cannot be avoided. However, the debt should be within limits. When the DMK government completes five years, it would have borrowed nearly `5.38 lakh crore. How can this be repaid? Strangely, revenue receipts have gone up, but the borrowing has also gone up, all without implementing any new or huge schemes. This is a clear case of inefficient governance.
