Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party leader K Annamalai met with the press on 9 January 2023 at the BJP headquarters in Chennai. Beginning the meeting, he shared his observations from the En Mann En Makkal Yatra, that many districts in Tamil Nadu are grappling with a shortage of job opportunities. Specifically, Chengelpet, Chennai, Kanchipuram, and Coimbatore, comprising only four districts, collectively contribute to 34% of Tamil Nadu’s economic output. In contrast, Dharmapuri registers a mere 1.7%, Karur a modest 1.3%, and several others fall below the 1% mark. The southern regions of Tamil Nadu appear to face challenges in development and growth, with a conspicuous absence of significant job opportunities.
Annamalai added that thanks to Prime Minister Modi, India stands as an appealing destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), holding the position of either the second or third most attractive globally. The expectation is that Tamil Nadu will receive investments totalling up to ₹10 lakh crores. Reflecting on past events, he said, “In February 2023, Uttar Pradesh had conducted a similar meet and signed MoUs worth over ₹33 lakh crore, five times greater than what Tamil Nadu has now attracted. Even Karnataka in February 2022 had attracted investments worth over ₹9 lakh crore. The state government should stop boasting about the investments they have received and work harder to be better than the other states.” Notably, even one of the less developed districts, Purvanchal Bundelkhand, attracted a substantial ₹9 lakh 50 thousand crores. Meanwhile, in Gujarat’s investment summit held in January 2024, a pre-signing phase already secured ₹7 lakh crores, with the final figure expected to be revealed after the summit concludes.
During the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet 2024, a total of 631 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were inked, reflecting a substantial commitment from investors. The pledged investment amounted to ₹6,64,180 crore, with a promise to generate 26,90,657 jobs.
Annamalai added that Tamil Nadu must set higher targets to generate job opportunities in regions like Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, and Dharmapuri. Despite previous derogatory remarks about Adani’s alleged connections with the BJP, today, DMK leaders are praising him as the state welcomes a substantial investment of ₹42,762 crores. Additionally, Ambani’s investment stands at ₹35,000 crores, and the Tata group has contributed ₹83,212 crores.
Annamalai revealed that following the implementation of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme by Prime Minister Modi, investments have seen a notable increase. The PLI initiative aims to encourage investments in sectors such as battery manufacturing, solar energy, textile, mobile manufacturing, food processing, telecom, white goods, IT hardware, and medical devices. Investors in these industries can claim incentives totaling up to ₹1,97,000 crores. Presently, ₹95,000 crores have already been claimed under this scheme. He said, “We (BJP) welcome the recent investments. But for this, DMK should refrain from boasting. These investments did not come for the DMK. These investments were inspired by PM Modi’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. The Centre is providing an incentive of ₹1.97 lakh crores for investments. Due to this, companies are coming forward to invest in the states,”
On Alliance With ADMK
When asked about the potential alliance with the AIADMK in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Annamalai stated, “The BJP is not hesitant to air its views on the AIADMK but the decision to forge an alliance with AIADMK will be taken by the BJP parliamentary board, but the board has not met even once for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. We (BJP) have not started discussions on the Lok Sabha election officially, and I do not have the authority to speak about it”.
This came after AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami’s declaration that their party would not ally with the saffron party in the forthcoming Lok Sabha and 2026 Assembly polls. Annamalai remarked,
“The central party leadership is yet to start talking about the elections. I have been saying whatever I could as the state president. Whoever accepts Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate is with us. The 2024 election is very important for us.”
Annamalai also said that a significant shift in the state’s ground dynamics, emphasising the undeniable influence of religion and caste in Tamil Nadu. He added, “However if someone thinks that traditional voting patterns will continue, the same won’t happen because unlike the previous Lok Sabha elections, when who would emerge victorious was a major concern, this time everyone knows that Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister for the third time and hence, the voting pattern will differ.”
Criticising the DMK government for their criticism towards Adani, Annamalai said, “DMK badmouthed Adani group during the election but they are now lauding Adani after receiving an investment of ₹42,768 crore from the conglomerate. Similarly, Ambani has invested ₹35,000 crore and Tata has invested ₹83,212 crore. These, beyond politics, build that some parties should strive only for the progress of Tamil Nadu.”
Further, Annamalai flayed the ruling DMK government over the bus strike and said, “Whatever the state government holds the talks with the transport unions, neither the Transport minister nor the government has the power to resolve it. Tamil Nadu’s financial burden is high. Impact of the debt burden will be visible in the next two years.”
He added, “TN government has a debt of ₹8 lakh 23000 crores. This year’s projected debt is an additional ₹25000 crores. Both Shivashankar and the CM know that this discussion is just an illusion. They don’t have anything in hand to give their commitment to. According to me, if they agree to the 6 demands, they will have to spend ₹8500 crore rupees to fulfill them. That’s because you have to pay the old arrears, hire a specific number of people, and their salaries have to be paid. Now they are overdoing their shifts. Even the Transport Unions are smart, they are playing a patient game. TN govt knows whatever it says, will never happen, even the Unions know this. Except for the old age pension, the other 5 demands are justified. But when the current financial situation is down in the trenches, what right does Shivashankar have to commit to this? They are offering free bus passes to children and collegegoers. But who will pay for the maintenance, and spare parts, to pay the interest for the purchases? We are going to bring forth the financial situation of the government. How it affects each individual is that each ration card has a debt of ₹3,61,000. As the debt increases, the weight of the interest will also increase. We are the first state to take so much loan. Today, we have 87 years to repay this debt. TN government has reached an impossible stage. Whether they can handle this, whether the finance minister is competent enough to deal with this. You can see for yourselves, in two years they will go to the central government asking for a grant-in-aid of ₹2-3 lakh crores to save the state.”
On The Maldives
Discussing the historical ties between India and the Maldives, Annamalai highlighted that an Indian contingent has been stationed in the island nation since the attempted coup in 1988. He noted that India traditionally holds the position of National Security Advisor (NSA) for the Maldives, with an Indian IPS officer serving as the nation’s NSA.
Despite the customary first visit of a Maldivian PM to India, the newly elected PM broke tradition by visiting Turkey and China, garnering support from the latter, as evidenced by an official press statement. Notably, a significant portion, about 25%, of the Maldives’ tourism revenue comes from India. In contrast, Lakshadweep receives only 25,000 Indian visitors. Annamalai mentioned that the PM actively promoted an Indian destination as a tourist hotspot.
Recalling contentious tweets from Maldivian ministers, Annamalai drew a comparison, stating that the workforce in a single company like TCS surpasses the entire population of the Maldives. He expressed satisfaction in witnessing Indians uniting to defend the country amid such developments.
On Hindi
In response to actor Vijay Sethupathi’s statement that the people of Tamil Nadu are merely advocating against the imposition of Hindi, not opposing the idea of learning the language, Annamalai remarked, “Vijay Sethupathi has every right to make whatever comment he wishes to and act in whichever language he wants to. But one has to understand that such comments garner all types of comments.”
He added, “Many north Indian companies are recruiting across the country and many native Hindi speakers prefer Bengaluru (in Karnataka) over Tamil Nadu because here, they need to communicate in Tamil. We are getting fewer investments because of this.”
“As far as I am concerned, people who wish to learn Hindi can learn and the rest can ignore. What we propose is a three-language policy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi never forced anybody to learn Hindi. One definitely needs to learn Tamil, English and a third language is optional — it could be anything. People near Hosur learn Kannada, in Coimbatore people learn Malayalam and many people here learn Telugu. We cannot stop them from studying that. Learn whatever you wish, this is BJP’s stand,” Annamalai said.
Annamalai voiced criticism against Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for turning down a proposal from the Public Works Department (PWD) to desilt the Mettur dam for increased water storage. He raised concerns about the government’s priorities, pointing out that the rejection was attributed to financial constraints.
On Sports & Athletics
In the realm of sports, Annamalai lauded TRB Rajaa’s daughter for her achievements in rifle shooting and expressed a desire to see more emerging athletes from Tamil Nadu. He also urged DMK Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin to take additional measures to enable underprivileged children to access sports like rifle shooting and equestrian, typically considered affluent pursuits.
On A Possible Alliance With The DMDK
Addressing the speculation surrounding the alliance with the DMDK and the tribute paid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to late actor Vijayakant, Annamalai clarified that the tribute was a gesture of genuine affection for the DMDK leader and devoid of any political motives. He said, “The decision on alliance with DMDK will be taken by the party leadership in Delhi and by DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakant.”
He dismissed any political implications, emphasising that Prime Minister Modi’s homage to Captain Vijayakant is a reflection of the widespread admiration for the late leader’s innocence. He added, “Captain’s innocence is loved by many and there is no politics in the PM’s tribute to him. Similarly, the visit of Union Minister Piyush Goyal to Captain’s house is because of the closeness that the Union Minister had with him.”
அண்ணாமலை அண்ணாவின் இன்றைய பத்திரிக்கையாளர் சந்திப்பு 🔥#EnMannEnMakkal pic.twitter.com/8c1fykFfDf
— ஷிபின் Shibin (@Shibin_twitz) January 9, 2024
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