BJP Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai sharply criticized the ruling DMK on Friday, calling the party’s portrayal of benefits given to the public as “savings” a “cruel joke.” He pointed to the rising costs of essentials such as milk and electricity as evidence of the government’s failure to manage the state’s resources effectively.In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Annamalai accused the DMK of deceitful practices. “The DMK is an expert in picking the right pocket and dropping it [money] in the left pocket of the same person. Since it came to power, about 6,000 buses have been off the road, making commute difficult for people. Procurement of electric buses has remained only an announcement for the last three years,” he said.
Annamalai’s comments came in response to recent statements by Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, who had countered Prime Minister Narendra Modiās critique of free bus travel for women. Modi had remarked in an interview that such schemes reduced patronage of Metro trains, increased road traffic, and harmed the environment.
In his defense, Minister Rajan questioned the delay in the Union Cabinetās approval for equity investment for phase-II of the Chennai Metro Rail Project. He implied that the central government’s inaction was affecting the state’s transportation infrastructure development.
Annamalai also questioned the DMK’s procurement decisions, particularly why the tender for smart classroom equipment in government schools was awarded to Keltron, a Kerala State-owned Electronic Development Corporation, instead of the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu. This, he suggested, was indicative of the DMK’s mismanagement and lack of transparency in handling state projects.