DMK's Thiaga Rajan Confident of Easy Victory in Madurai Central Assembly Election
DMK's candidate for Madurai Central and Tamil Nadu IT Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan has expressed strong confidence in securing an easy victory in the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly election. As he prepared for an evening campaign visit to Viswasapuri, an area with a significant Christian population, Thiaga Rajan stated that his prospects are "guaranteed" based on his track record and the strength of his coalition.
Third Contest and Opponent Analysis
This election marks Thiaga Rajan's third contest in Madurai Central, where he faces BJP functionary and actor Khushbu's husband Sundar C, who is fielded by an AIADMK ally, along with candidates from TVK and NTK. Thiaga Rajan is poised to potentially pull off another win, leveraging his experience and local support.
In an interview, when asked about his opponent Sundar C, Thiaga Rajan was critical, describing his candidacy as an "insult to Madurai." He emphasized that Sundar C lacks a history of public service, sustained engagement with the community, or any real connection to the city. "Vacuous is the word I would use," Thiaga Rajan remarked, questioning his understanding of roles like councillor, MLA, or minister.
Principles and Political Journey
Thiaga Rajan highlighted his principled stand in politics, asserting that he has never bribed voters and has won five elections since entering politics in 2016. He shared his background as a former senior managing director at a global bank in Singapore, where he earned millions annually, but left to fulfill what he felt was his duty to public service. "I turned 60 last month and had planned to retire after 10 years, but the trust people of Madurai have placed in me made me defer that," he said, expressing his belief in improving their quality of life.
Addressing Corruption and Infrastructure Issues
Responding to Sundar C's allegations of corruption and "filthiness" in Madurai, Thiaga Rajan dismissed them as uninformed. He pointed out that the government acted swiftly against its own officers in a Madurai Corporation case, with arrests and an imminent chargesheet. On waste management, he acknowledged structural gaps that require comprehensive solutions. As finance minister, he sanctioned funds for a study leading to a ₹3,000 crore proposal for a modern underground drainage system designed to last 50 years.
Accessibility and Portfolio Shifts
When questioned about being less accessible now, Thiaga Rajan explained that from 2016 to 2021, as an opposition MLA without executive burdens, he was constantly on the streets across 22 wards. Since 2021, as a minister handling heavy portfolios, his schedule has been packed, often reviewing 100 files weekly from 9 am to 9 pm, which inevitably affected his accessibility.
Discussing his shift from finance to IT, he described himself as an agent of change, driving systemic reforms with the chief minister's support. Through the Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency, he oversaw about ₹40,000 crore in Direct Benefit Transfers, including a recent ₹5,000 payment executed so efficiently that many women received bank SMS notifications before hearing the news. "We executed ₹6,550 crores of payments to 1.31 crore accounts in a few hours," he noted, highlighting a major upgrade in the state's digital capabilities.
Regrets and Fiscal Management
Thiaga Rajan expressed no regrets about losing the finance portfolio, stating that ministers serve at the chief minister's pleasure and portfolio allocation matches the person to the moment. He acknowledged that historically, finance is often held by chief ministers, so his tenure was an exception. On balancing welfare with fiscal discipline, he emphasized that during his tenure, Tamil Nadu achieved the best two-year improvement in revenue deficits while rolling out nearly one lakh crore of programmes. "Fiscal management is about ensuring spending generates growth quickly enough to strengthen revenues," he explained, aiming to control interest payments by reducing borrowing for a virtuous cycle.
Debt Situation and Political Challenges
Regarding the debt situation, Thiaga Rajan noted that while it was better prior to 2014, it remains within Union Finance Commission limits. He asserted that Tamil Nadu fares much better compared to the Centre and states like West Bengal and Kerala.
On the entry of new political actors like Vijay, he viewed it positively as encouraging youth participation but cautioned about serious challenges such as delimitation that could disadvantage the south. "The question is whether a first-time government can handle such issues as effectively as a movement like ours, rooted in long political struggles," he concluded.
