High command to decide on Dy CM post: Murugan

Murugan, who was in Coimbatore to oversee arrangements for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign meeting on Thursday, said that the issue of claiming Deputy Chief Minister post will be decided by the national leaders. On Karnataka’s opposition to linking of Cauvery- Gundar rivers, the BJP leader asserted that the river interlinking project will be executed to protect the rights of people in Tamil Nadu.

Delving further into the issue, the party’s election in-charge for Tamil Nadu CT Ravi, said that the Centre sees both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as equal. “Our concern is that farmers from both the states should benefit out of the project. We wouldn’t like to politicise the issue. It is only normal for Chief Ministers from their respective state to express their desire,” he added.

Ravi said that BJP’s alliance partners will not be taking part in the meeting being organised by the BJP. “Alliance party leaders will participate only in the NDA campaigns. Already, the alliance has been confirmed with AIADMK. So, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister will meet the Prime Minister at the airport,” he said to a query on the participation of alliance party leaders in the public meeting.

The BJP leader also said that the Centre has so far dedicated more than six lakh crore worth welfare projects to Tamil Nadu. “More schemes will be launched at the event, when more than one lakh people are expected to come. The Prime Minister is commencing his first campaign meet for this year’s polls from Coimbatore, which is a stronghold of BJP and will also tour across Tamil Nadu,” he said.