Deputy CM @ Coimbatore For Election Campagin
Deputy Chief Minister M.K.Stalin campaigning for M.N.Kandasamy (to his right), the Congress candidate for Thondamuthur constituency, at Ganapathy in Coimbatore on Wednesday. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Government has covered 85 per cent of the beneficiaries of the free colour television scheme and this proves that the party is keeping the promises it made to the voters in the last Assembly elections, Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said here on Wednesday.
Beginning his two-day campaign for Congress candidate for Thondamuthur Assembly Constituency M.N. Kandaswamy, Mr. Stalin explained how the government went about the task of procuring colour televisions and handing over these to the beneficiaries. In 2006 in the first phase, 30,000 televisions were given to poor families in Samathuvapurams. In the second phase, 25 lakh sets were distributed at the rate of 10,000 in each MLA’s constituency.
This was followed by another 32 lakh sets. The government had procured another 42 lakh sets, but the distribution had been held up by the Lok Sabha elections and now by the by-elections (to five Assembly constituencies). When some of the voters at Gandhimanagar said they had not got the sets yet, Mr. Stalin said this scheme was not like others.
It involved an elaborate, time-consuming process that included the invitation of bids and their processing. That was why the sets were being distributed in phases. This scheme and the others such as rice at Re.1 a kg had earned the government the faith of the people. Now, they must vote for the candidates of the DMK-led front to strengthen it further.
From villages to cities across the State, the government was focussed on providing basic amenities and infrastructure development. This was evident in the allocations already made for development works to various local bodies. Parties such as the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam were alleging manipulation of electronic voting machines only to avoid contesting in the by-elections. The fear of defeat was the actual reason. “The nation will reject those who boycott elections,” he said.
