A new dawn of political bonhomie in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: It’s a new political culture in Tamil Nadu that’s never been seen before. On Thursday, chief minister M K Stalin convened a meeting of all-party representatives in a bid to take them on board in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic.
The same day, AIADMK MLAs were seated alongside ministers on a podium in Coimbatore during a review meeting to combat the pandemic. With Covid numbers surging in the state, political animosities are being set aside in the battle to contain the spread.
Responding to an appreciative tweet for working out a political consensus to fight the pandemic, Stalin on Friday tweeted, “Covid does not discriminate based on political affiliation and, as public servants, we are morally obliged to stand united in this fight. Urge all parties across the country to work together to defeat the pandemic. #OndrinaivomVaa (Let us come together).” The chief minister has deputed 22 ministers to 14 high-infected districts for Covid work.
Former AIADMK minister D Jayakumar said his party would support the government, but would also raise its voice, if anything went wrong. On Thursday, nine AIADMK MLAs of Coimbatore district arrived early for a meeting organised by the ministers, K Ramachandran and R Sakkarapani in Avarampalayam. Upon their arrival, the ministers called for chairs to be arranged on the podium for the AIADMK members, including former minister S P Velumani.
The gesture came in for much praise from CPI MP P R Natarajan. The DMK has no MLA in the district and the party high command had deputed Sakkarapani and Ramachandran from Dindigul and The Nilgiris districts respectively. Not only did the AIADMK legislators extend full support to the government but submitted a to-do list to combat the pandemic, including supply of food in Amma canteens or by the party district unit.
But it was no bonhomie everywhere. In Salem, for instance, eight AIADMK MLAs, including former CM Edappadi K Palaniswami and two PMK MLAs, did not show up for minister V Senthil Balaji’s Covid review meeting despite invitations being sent to them. A lone DMK MLA was present. “A 500-oxygen bed facility will come up in Salem Steel Plant in ten days. A 1,000KV transformer will also come up to meet the power supply. Modular oxygen generator systems are getting ready in all 11 constituencies,” the minister said, undeterred. He said similar facilities would come up in Karur.
Last year, when the pandemic unfolded, the then opposition DMK demanded that the government convene an allparty meeting for Covid management. But the EPS government said the pandemic was the domain of health workers. In Theni, MP P Ravindhranath called up to say he would not be able to attend owing to a bereavement in the family.
“We are ready to take the suggestions of AIADMK legislators, as our CM said there should not be any discrimination in public service,” said minister P Moorthy, who along with colleague, Palanivel Thiagarajan had been at the forefront in ramping up health infrastructure in Madurai.