CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Monday dodged a question on whether the AIADMK and BJP are planning to stitch up an alliance, saying he would not respond to mere speculation at a time when there are no elections. “Why do you ask questions based on speculation when there are no elections? Amma's Government will take a decision during elections,” Palaniswami told reporters at the Chennai airport when asked to respond to comments by AIADMK MLA Kanakaraj that BJP and AIADMK will come together.
AIADMK's closeness with the BJP has fuelled speculation about the parties coming together and fighting the 2019 general elections as alliance partners in Tamil Nadu. However, both the BJP and AIADMK have been maintaining that decisions on alliance are taken only during elections. Palaniswami also said the Tamil Nadu government has not been able to conduct local body polls in the state since a case relating to the elections are pending in the courts. “We can conduct elections only when the court gives its verdict. We all know who went to the court and got a stay on conduct of elections. Amma's government is prepared to hold the local body elections once the court gives its verdict,” the Chief Minister said, taking a dig at Opposition DMK, which went to the Madras high court in October 2016 alleging irregularities in delimitation of wards.
To a question on water-logging and inundation of residential areas, the CM said houses had been constructed without permission in some areas in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur. “For instance, at Pallikaranai in Chennai, real estate projects have come up in irrigated lands fed by a local water body. Because houses are constructed in low-lying areas, there is water stagnation,” he said.
