BJP uses smart city tag to lure voters

With more than 34 lakh voters, Coimbatore has 30,000 industries

Projecting Coimbatore’s inclusion in the smart city project, the Bhratiya Janata Party (BJP) is going all guns blazed to woo the city’s voters, hoping its effort would be bolstered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit here.

The BJP nominees, including its star candidate Vanathi Srinivasan who began her campaign much ahead of other political parties, are releasing constituency-wise manifestoes to impress voters in the textile city, dubbed South India’s Manchester.

With more than 34 lakh voters, the city has 30,000 tiny, small and large industries and boasts of an entrepreneurial verve.

"I am going to give a separate manifesto for the constituency. We are gathering the issues faced by the people", Vanathi, also BJP state unit vice president, told Deccan Herald.

First-time voters

Vanathi is creating awareness, especially among the young first-time voters, that Coimbatore’s civic issues will be solved under the ‘smart city’ project initiated by the Modi-led BJP government at the Centre.

“The Prime Minister is planning a visit here (ahead of the polls). It is going to be a morale booster for us,” she said.

Despite the saffron party appearing strong in many constituencies here, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is determined to give a tough fight.

It fielded Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Pollachi Jayaraman in Pollachi constituency, while also fielding law minister S P Velumani in Thondamuthur.

“Amma’s welfare schemes reached all sections of the people. Therefore, our party rule will continue,” Velumani said.

Attractive destination

In recent times, Coimbatore –the third biggest city in Tamil Nadu nestled in the foothills of the Nilgiris -- has emerged as an attractive destination for start-ups and is in the race with Chennai and bengaluru in luring IT outsourcing business.

In the recently held Global Investors’ Summit, hundreds of companies expressed interest to set up their base in the city.

With a formidable reputation for mechanical and electronic appliances manufacturing, the city supplied the freebees announced by the Jayalalithaa regime for the past four years such as mixer grinders and fans.

Money seizure in TN crosses Rs 30 cr

With just three weeks left for Assembly polls, the total seizure of unaccounted money by the Election Commission in Tamil Nadu has crossed Rs 30 crore, DHNS reports from Chennai.

The commission has also seized gift articles, including jewellery, worth several lakhs. It has taken action against 2.85 lakh poll violators across the state since the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct. “On Thursday alone, we seized more than Rs 54.24 lakh unaccounted money from various places,” Chief Electoral officer Rajesh Lakhoni said.

According to the EC, of the total 2.94 lakh complaints related to violation of MCC received, action was taken in 2.85 lakh cases. The EC said cameras have been installed at nearly 38,000 places in the state to check code violations.