Chennai, June 25(BPNS)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin created history in the state politics by practicing inclusive politics and accommodating former Health minister of the state and AIADMK leader C. Vijayabhaskar in a 13 member committee of legislators to combat against Covid-19.
When Stalin assumed office as Chief Minister after the thumping majority to DMK and its allies, political observers, and analysts were of the opinion that cult politics was on the return in the state and that after the passing away of M.Karunanidhi and J. Jayalalithaa who had practiced a politics of cult worship and invincibility during their regime. Elected representatives and ministers were seen publicly prostrating before these towering Dravidian leaders and the cadres and mid-level leaders enjoyed this.
However, Stalin after assuming office was totally against this and he reached out to opposition parties and constituted a 13 member committee with legislators from across the political spectrum. This was hailed as politics of inclusion and the Chief Minister replied that the presence of the former Health minister would provide support to the Government in its fight against Covid.
This went for a toss in the State assembly with the Chief Minister openly contradicting the claims made by the AIADMK leadership including former Chief Minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami that the previous government led by him had a better track record of containing Covid -19. Stalin said that it was the DMK government under his leadership that has contained Covid and the AIADMK government was found wanting in several crucial moments during the first wave of the pandemic.
The Tamil Nadu state health minister, Ma Subramanian also came out heavily against the previous AIADMK government in the matter of containing the deadly pandemic. The sudden “U” turn taken by the DMK leadership in the house and outside is seen by political observers as a calculated political move to capture the public mind and to discredit the opposition.
S . Sivashankar, Journalist and Political Observer, based out of Madurai, while speaking to BPNS said,” Stalin is a shrewd politician and he knows that he had to take credit for the decreasing number of Covid -19 cases and that he should not provide space to the AIADMK in this game of one-upmanship. While he wants to project an image of a politician with inclusiveness, in crucial junctures he wants to break free of that image and cater to his cadre base as well as send a strong message to the people that it was his leading the role that helped contain the disease.”
With the assembly adjourned Sine de , the verbal duel which took place in the house between the DMK leadership led by M.K. Stalin and the Opposition AIADMK led by Edappadi K Palaniswami will be on the streets thus leading to a full-throttle fight between the two major Dravidian majors in the Tamil heartland.
