In a major setback to the Tamil Nadu government, the Madras High Court on Monday quashed the land acquisition process for the controversial Rs. 10,000-crore Chennai-Salem greenfield expressway, stating that the project would have an adverse effect on the environment and water bodies.
With 10 days left for the Lok Sabha elections and bypolls to 18 Assembly constituencies, the impact of the order on the prospects of the AIADMK-led alliance is unclear as Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami, who hails from Salem, is a strong proponent of the project that has been opposed by local people.
