Free Cars For MLAs, Whispers With BJP: Is CM Vijay’s Populism Backfiring?

When Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay announced plans to purchase premium cars for the newly minted MLAs of TN, the cheering drowned out the hushed shock of the protestors. His justification, to give his lawmakers more access to the constituents, serves them better. The debt-ridden state which already has a mind boggling debt of Rs 13 lakh crore may groan under the weight of this plan. The most vociferous reaction comes from Naam Thamizhar Party leader Seeman who ripped into Vijay’s plan. “190 MLA’s already have cars. At Rs 30 lakhs per car, Rs 70 crore would be needed, whose tax money to be squandered? As it is his wealthy party bigwigs, Adav Arjuna and Marie Wilson are prosperous. Vijay can spend from his own funds or party funds for such extravagant schemes.” Seeman predicts that such popularity and ‘captive’ schemes would silence even justified protests. Apart from the fiscal profligacy of such populist schemes, the buzz is that Vijay is buying insurance to cushion the perceived threat of a walkout by the Congress? Even as Vijay received Home Minister Amit Shah at the airport, a raucous Congress anti-BJP protest was played out at the Egmore Rajarathinam stadium. Whispers of “fake influencer Hindi videos projecting Vijay as a future PM “spread like forest fires. The HM is presiding over the Southern Zonal Council meet at Kovalam near Puducherry. Vijay as the chief convenor, turned into a happy coincidence that brought the TVK and BJP closer. Is Vijay looking for his GPS on a Lonely Planet? This film has had a 100 days run.