Edappadi Palaniswami woos masses, offers freebies. 500 TASMAC outlets to be closed.

Proxy Palani woos masses. Tries to appease Women in TN 

EK Palaniswamy  has set the ball rolling as Chief Minister (by proxy for Chinnamma). He has offered some populist measures targetted at women. Amma (Jayalalithaa) counted on the
support of women in a huge way. The anti-Sasikala camp (and thereby anti-Proxy Palani) has in the past few weeks been receiving popular ‘ill-will’. Very importantly women in large numbers have opposed the manner in which OPS (seen as a person trying hard to be a decent CM)  was forced to resign. 

One of the five measures shared by the Chief Minister is ordering the closure of 500 outlets of TASMAC, which is the state monopoly for whole sale and retail vending of liquor in TN. This is in addition ot the 500 already closed a few months back by Amma to keep the Prohibitionists quiet.

Proxy Palani work for Prohibition?  

One of the major issues for women in this state has been the rampant alcohol abuse. The governments in power have never heard the Women’s groups’ pleas for total prohibition in the state. Economically speaking, no government would find it easy. The TN government generated more than Rs 26,000 Cores  (more than INR 260 Billion) in 2014-15. 

DMK moving Court. OPS Camp petitioning Governor

The manner in which the Trust Vote was conducted, did not give much confidence to the common man or woman. The Motion to show Confidence in the person appointed by the Governor Rao ran into rough waters with the OPS camp objecting peacefully and the DMK MLAs making views very vehemently. 

The DMK has moved the High Court of Madras on the constitutional legality of the final ‘Trust Vote’. It has also questioned as to why secret voting was not followed. The OPS team has already filed a complaint before the Election Commission on the validity of the Sasikala camp ‘hijacking’ the AIADMK party.

Cool Chilli’s Comments

One of the major issues the public has had with the Sasikala camp members is the general impression of them being a mafia. The mafia with tentacles has spread across TN (having infiltrated all possible adminisitrative or political fora). It is loathed as much for the corruption inherent in its rise to wealth/influence as for the continuing degradation in Tamil politics. The Sasikala camp will therefore try to roll out the red carpet to get as much good will as possible.

Total Prohibition, a mirage in TN

Prohibition is a mouth watering political tool sarely, but is also a double edged sword, since TASMAC generates Rs 26,000+ crores.  A government already struggling to fund the various freebie/discount schemes cannot even imagine life without TASMAC. The TN Government is as dependent on TASMAC as the wife/parent beating and money snatching alcoholic husband/son. But closing 500 or 1000 outlets (maybe the poorest performing ones) out of the 6300+ outlets may be necessary just to keep women quiet.

In Ending

Palaniswamy and Sasikala surely don’t have it easy. The masses may utilize the upcoming local body polls this year to convey their unhappiness. If the Sasikala camp doesn’t get the masses on their side by then, the polls may well herald the beginning of the end of the AIADMK.

It is high time the masses also realize. It is not the Free Stuff they need in this State, but the need to free the state of some stuff.