Tamil Nadu Election 2021 | Local vs outsiders, NEET, CAA, COVID-19 handling: Key issues in TN polls

TAMIL NADU, Voter Hand with voting sign

Amid high-voltage campaigning for April 6 Assembly elections, Tamil Nadu is getting ready to elect a fresh government. A total of 6.28 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots across 234 assembly constituencies in the state.

With the polling day coming closer, the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is hoping to retain the power by securing a third consecutive term, while the state’s main opposition party -- Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) –– is hoping to finally move to the treasury benches after a gap of 10 years.

Ahead of the elections, all the contesting parties are highlighting their efforts and counting the shortcomings of others. Here are the key issues that have been highlighted in poll-bound Tamil Nadu:

Local vs Outsider

The AIADMK is contesting the polls in an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Tamil Maanila Congress, and some other smaller parties.

The alliance of AIADMK with the saffron party has become a significant issue in the coming elections as DMK has taken up the 'local vs outsider' factor, which has shaped politics in Tamil Nadu for a long time.

The former deputy chief minister MK Stalin-led DMK, which is contesting the poll in alliance with the Congress and other regional parties, has been trying to project an overarching theme that a win for the AIADMK would lead to the state being run by the BJP and its government at the Centre.

During the election campaign at various constituencies, Stalin called AIADMK a “branch” of the BJP and said that even if the AIADMK emerged victorious in a single-seat, the victor would be a “BJP MLA”. The lone AIADMK Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Theni, P Ravindhranath, who is the son of Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam functioned only as a "BJP MP" and this proved his contention, he claimed.

However, the AIADMK has claimed it will continue to differ from the BJP when required. In its poll manifesto, the party has promised to make every effort to ask the central government to withdraw the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

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Corruption

Besides assessing the pros and cons of the seat-sharing with allies, mainly national parties in the state Assembly election, other regional issues are also dominating the election campaign.

A major issue taking center stage in campaigning is corruption. Stalin has constantly made allegations of corruption against Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). In a March 23 public meeting, Stalin claims that the Palaniswami government was more corrupt than the 1991-96 AIADMK regime headed by J Jayalalithaa. “This was a regime marked by corruption, commission, and collection mixed with the dictatorial rule that needed to be booted out,” he said.

The BJP has gheraoed the DMK on 2G (spectrum allocation) scam in which party MPs Kanimozhi and A Raja are accused. The DMK was part of the Congress-led government when the lead party did "Rs 12 lakh crore" worth scams, said Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah during poll campaigning.

NEET

Another key issue in the state elections is holding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

In the party manifesto, DMK has promised to abolish NEET, which has been called “empty” by Kamal Haasan, whose party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) is also contesting the state elections. "State Eligibility cum Entrance Test (SEET) is an alternative plan. Instead of saying we will ban something that has been promulgated by the Central government which is not possible. It's an empty promise by Stalin when he says we will make it (NEET exam) disappear," Haasan told news agency ANI.

CM Palaniswami has also targeted Stalin over the medical exam, saying DMK and Congress are “totally responsible for the introduction of that exam in Tamil Nadu. DMK did not oppose the central government in the NEET issue since they feared they will lose power,” said EPS on March 18.

COVID-19 pandemic

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has also received a place in the poll campaigning with the opposition parties criticising the ruling government for its “shoddy way” of handling the COVID-19 crisis.

Since the outbreak of the deadly disease, Staling is taking on the government for mishandling the pandemic in the state.

Elections in the state will be held in a single phase on April 6. Results will be declared on May 2 along with the three other poll-bound states – Assam, Kerala, and West Bengal -- and the union territory of Puducherry.

A party, or an alliance, needs to win 118 seats to secure a majority in the House.