Even as Karnataka goes to polls in what has been an intense battle between the BJP and the Congress, Tamil Nadu has been agitating for months over the non formation of the Cauvery Management Board.
Letting the cat out of the bag, Tamil Nadu BJP State President Tamilisai Soundararajan admitted that BJP was not trying to hide the fact that the delay in setting a scheme to implement the Supreme Court judgement was owing to the elections in Karnataka.
Speaking to reporters at the Trichy airport, BJP State President Tamilisai Soundararajan was responding to a question from a reporter on the non-formation of the scheme owing to the elections in Karnataka. She said, “We are not hiding that. I ask, is only BJP contesting in the Karnataka elections? Isn't Congress contesting as well? Is it not possible that the reason Siddaramaiah isn't giving water is because of the Karnataka elections? So, both are contesting but the BJP is being blamed. Secondly, BJP is not hiding it. The judgement and the actions of the centre will be in such a manner that the farmers from Tamil Nadu are extremely happy.”
The Centre has been severely criticised for the non implementation of the apex court’s order which on February 16 gave the centre six weeks. Despite this, on May 3, after missing its second deadline, Attorney-General of India KK Venugopal informed the Supreme Court that "Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other central ministers were busy campaigning for the Karnataka assembly elections" and hence the scheme could not be vetted by the Cabinet of Ministers.
As early as March, the Chief Election Commissioner had made it clear that the announcement of the Karnataka elections doesn't bar the central government from implementing the Supreme Court judgement on the issue of constitution of the verdict.
"Whatever the direction of the court and compliance thereof, the commission and the model code of conduct don't come in the way," Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat had told the media.
Adding that the centre would bring water from neighbouring rivers to Tamil Nadu, Tamilisai Soundararajan said, “Central government has clearly said that we won't ask for more time. We have received information on the steps that have been taken. We have to admit who is behind the long pending problems with rivers such as Cauvery and Palar from neighbouring states. BJP government will bring Palar, Cauvery, Mullaperiyar rights and above all, even Godavari will also be brought.”