Tamil Nadu CM E Palaniswami says 'Free COVID vaccine for all' after BJP's promise in Bihar

Following BJP, AIADMK leader and Tamil Nadu CM E Palaniswami (EPS) on Thursday, announced that the state government will provide free vaccines to all whenever such a vaccine was available. Similarly, BJP in its poll manifesto in Bihar promised to provide free vaccine to the state subjects as and when it is approved.  Total cases in Tamil Nadu are now 7,00,193 out of which 34,198 are active cases. 6,55,170 patients have recovered while the death toll stands at 10,825. 

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TN CM: 'Free vaccines to all'

"People are living in fear after being affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The day a COVID-19 vaccine is released, the state government will provide free vaccines to all, on its own cost," said EPS. Reacting to his announcement, DMK chief MK Stalin asked, 'Do you think that is a privilege? It's your duty to provide free medicine". Stalin also claimed, while he (EPS) was reluctant to help the destitute, he (EPS) was now posing as a generous prince!

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Tamil Nadu polls 2021

While BJP has promised 'free vaccines' ahead of the Bihar polls, EPS who has been named AIADMK's CM candidate, has made a similar promise, keeping in mind the polls to be held in May 2021. Recently the two warring factions in AIADMK - of Deputy CM O Pannerselvam (OPS) and CM E Palaniswamy (EPS), reconciled after the party named incumbent E Palaniswamy as its CM candidate and O Panneerselvam as the chief of the 11-member steering committee. The 2021 polls will be the first state assembly elections in the absence of late AIADMK Supremo J Jayalalitha and late DMK patron M Karunanidhi.

AIADMK which has banned its leaders form airing political views to the media was split into two camps  - OPS (who was chosen by Jayalalitha as her Deputy) and EPS (chosen by VK Sasikala - former general secretary & ex-aide of Jayalalitha) since the demise of five-time CM Jayalalitha in 2016. Sasikala, who may be released on January 27, 2021 from Bengaluru prison, eyes rejoining AIADMK, but has been ruled out by the party as of now. In 2016, amid the impasse between the two camps, the BJP had intervened to allow EPS to continue as CM and made OPS the party's Convenor, Deputy CM, naming the late Jayalalitha as the party's 'eternal' General Secretary. 

With the major vacuum in Tamil Nadu politics, Karunanidhi's successor and son MK Stalin eyes his maiden CM term. DMK cannot afford to lose a third straight Assembly election after sweeping the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with 38 seats. Other smaller players in the Tamil Nadu elections include - the TTV Dinakaran-led Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and Superstars Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) and Rajinikanth's unnamed party.

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