Two years of Stalin government in Tamil Nadu: Two steps forward – Times of India

On a pleasant Sunday morning last August, The Times of Indias Happy Streets on Anna Nagar Second Avenue had an important visitor. Just when the first beams of the rising sun filtered through the canopy of the avenue trees, chief minister M K Stalin joined people who sang, danced and played games on the road. Wearing a red T-shirt, tracks and sneakers, Stalin walked and cycled the stretch, shaking hands with residents, playing table tennis and badminton with them, and giving them fitness tips. I wake up at 5am, he told them. I stay young because I exercise. Two months later, Stalin told the DMK general council that he was having sleepless nights. I wake up with the worrying thought of whether our party seniors, cadres or ministers have said or done something wrong. This is giving me sleepless nights. That must be tough on a chief minister who wakes up early for day-long exercises that are more than physical. Its not the opposition, the governor or the Centre thats giving Stalin a headache; his pain points are within his party and the government. On the governance front, Stalin has made some definitive strides. He has let his finance minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan to adopt some strong and unpopular fiscal measures to salvage the states economy and put it on the road to the one trillion-dollar Tamil Nadu destination. While powering this journey are the engines of manufacturing automobiles, electric vehicles, footwear, textiles and information technology/ startups, the governments policy seems to ensure that the vehicle of growth goes beyond the capital city to provide jobs and opportunities for smaller towns and the states hinterlands.The governments policies and programmes to take education and health to the peoples doorsteps have made a good start, the chief ministers public outreach programme has set an example for his ministers. While continuing with some coffer-draining doles, the government has been able to keep its focus on welfare measures. But this will be a trickier job when it moves into the third year that demands further fiscal discipline, and the next two when the ruling DMK prepares for another election. On the political front, the opposition AIADMK has not been much of a problem for the ruling party, but it has been spending more time on verbal duels with the governor and the Centre defending its Dravidian model of governance and federalism. The national social justice movement, which Stalin seeks to lead, would be a front that pushes this agenda. Stalins bigger problems have come from his own flank. Some of the government moves such as amending labour and liquor rules backfired (some blame the bureaucracy for it). Dealing blows to the partys attempts at an image makeover, a minister slapped a party councillor in public, another threw a stone at a party member who delayed bringing him a chair, many others have made speeches that embarrassed Stalin. Just when he thought he had disciplined the rogue elements came the PTR tapes audio recordings that BJP state president K Annamalai released that implicated the finance minister as speaking about the chief ministers family members son Udhayanidhi and son-in-law Sabareesan amassing wealth. The authenticity of the tapes may never be proved, but they have triggered discussions on corruption. Good governance will let Stalin bask in the glory of his governments performance as he faces the next election, but anything wrong done by anyone in the system will also fall on him. If it doesnt rain, I will be blamed, Stalin said at the October general council meeting of the DMK. As the opposition waits for its thunder, Stalin can expect a flood of allegations. As he sets sail towards the coming years, Stalin may not be able to stop the rain, but he should be able to plug the leaks.

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Two years of Stalin government in Tamil Nadu: Two steps forward - Times of India