Both Jaya, DMK claim credit for investment flows

Chennai is ringed with big industrial projects which have come into Tamil Nadu recently - a Nokia factory near Sriperumbudur, a Saint Gobain unit and a Hyundai plant are a few big names which have come into the state.

Waiting in line are Flextronics with a $100-million industrial park, a BMW assembly plant and scores of BPO projects.

These big-ticket investments have become a bone of contention between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and DMK's M Karunanidhi. While Jayalalithaa is the chief minister, the DMK and its allies, the Congress and the PMK, which have 12 central ministers, are all too ready to take credit.

"There is no doubt that investment climate in the state has improved. Whether it is due to the state government or Tamil ministers at the Centre is a moot point," said an office-bearer of an industry body.

The DMK says Nokia set up shop here because of Union Communciations Minister Dayanidhi Maran. But Jayalalithaa disagrees. "All Maran does is to meet the executives of these companies when they arrive in Delhi. It is the Tamil Nadu government's strong administrative record which brings in investment," she said.

Jayalalithaa has an edge in propaganda since Maran, TR Baalu and other DMK alliance ministers have not been vocal about these investments and Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin is not considered well-versed in economic matters.

Now, Finance Minister P Chidambaram has been roped in to convince voters that the DMK-led alliance will be good for business.

Chidambaram is scheduled to address rallies in Coimbatore, Tiruppur and his own constituency of Sivaganga. The former two areas are major industrial belts with a number of big textiles units. In an election dominated by promises like free rice, and now free gold, the electorate has been spoiled for choice.

The DMK-led alliance does not appear to be focussing on development. It is Jayalalithaa who is repeatedly bringing up the issue of roads, the flyovers in Chennai for instance, and improved infrastructure to assert how much the state has progressed under her.

For instance, in Tiruchengode, which is part of the textile belt in Namakkal district, poor infrastructure and absence of development schemes for the weaving industry are key poll issues. Jayalalithaa's sops for the powerloom industry have had little impact as these apply only to the small units.

But in Jaya's constituency, development is a big issue and she hammers home the things she has done for Andipatti: The 300-bed Theni Medical College Hospital, the Rs 74-crore Andipatti-Sedapatti drinking water project, Vaigai hi-tech weaving park, an arts and science college, 118 integrated sanitary complexes for women and road works.

In Andipatti, Jayalaithaa's poll plank is: the Centre is against Tamil Nadu's development.