AIADMK and BJP oppose Lulu mall plans in Tamil Nadu

In March, the Tamil Nadu government signed an agreement with Lulu Group to implement three major projects in the state at a total investment of Rs 3500 crore.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and Lulu Group chairman MA Yusuf Ali
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and Lulu Group chairman MA Yusuf Ali
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Amid the Tamil Nadu government’s plans to construct two Lulu malls in the state is facing stiff opposition from the AIADMK and BJP in the state. The opposition parties are of the opinion that the opening of Lulu malls in the state would severely impact small businesses and traders. State BJP chief K Annamalai opined, "Lulu malls would impact the livelihoods of roadside vendors and small scale shop owners. So BJP will not let this group lay the foundation stone in Tamil Nadu."

During an official visit to Abu Dubai in March, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Lulu Group to implement three major projects in Tamil Nadu at a total investment of Rs 3500 crore. Two malls are planned to be set up in the state with  a Rs 2,500 crore investment, and additionally, an export-oriented food processing project is to be implemented at an investment of ₹1000 crores.

While the BJP in Tamil Nadu has opposed the Lulu Group’s functioning there, the UAE-based retail giant already has three operational malls in BJP-ruled Gujarat, and had even signed an MOU with the Gujarat government for projects worth Rs 2000 crore last December. Further, a Lulu mall is set to be inaugurated in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, which is also a BJP-ruled state. While the group has been allowed to set up operations in other states ruled by the party, in Tamil Nadu, Annamalai has said that it will not allow the group to set up a single brick for the mall that is slated to come up in Coimbatore.

The AIADMK has also slammed the ruling DMK over allowing Lulu Group to invest in Tamil Nadu. At the 39th Tamil Nadu Vanigargal Mahajana Sangam on May 5, joint coordinator E Palaniswamy claimed that the party supports small businesses and traders, and urged them to unite against “big multinational companies that would destroy them.”

The Lulu Group is so far operating malls in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi in Kerala and Bengaluru in Karnataka. 

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