Rajini, AIADMK on top of agenda in BJP’s ‘Mission 2019’
Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com
Chennai:11.07.2018
BJP president Amit Shah’s cryptic statement about Tamil Nadu being among the most corrupt states in the country may have created some political ripples, but senior leaders admit that AIADMK and actor Rajnikanth were very much in the saffron party’s scheme of things for forging a strong alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Much of Shah’s political speech targeted UPA and there was no mention of AIADMK, pointed out state BJP leaders. Ahead of Shah’s tour to Chennai on Monday fora party meeting to draft a TN strategy for the general elections, BJP national general secretary Muralidar Rao said Rajini would play a significant part in the party’s poll plans for the state.
Rajini’s preference for ‘spiritual politics’ would suit BJP’s Hindutva ideology, state leaders said. “There has been no open talk about alliance matters yet,” said an office-bearer of the party, who attended a meeting of senior leaders with Shah on Monday.
“But we read the mind of our leader during the meeting. It’s a clear message that our options are open. Rajinikanth and AIADMK are definitely on the top of the party’s list and even the DMK is not being ruled out,” said the leader.
BJP state president Tamilisai Soundararajan said that the party president had insisted on developing and strengthening all the microlevel committees and roping in representatives from all the dominant linguistic and caste groups.
“We will discuss about the alliances once we strengthen our base. We are aiming at increasing the booth level committee members to 1.25 lakh. We are half way to achieving it. But we are not ruling out any possibility,” she said when asked about potential alliance partners AIADMK and Rajinikanth.
The state BJP would strive to fulfill its Tamil Nadu Mission to have a strong presence in all the 66,000 booths for the coming election. But, it is keen on having superstar Rajinikanth with his huge mass appeal or a party like the AIADMK “that has widespread and deep rooted base” in Tamil Nadu or both.
“Such a combination will help us strengthen our base in the state. We are working on other options too,” said another leader, who attended the meeting.
‘Shah speech was poorly translated’
Chennai:
Seeking to play down BJP president Amit Shah’s criticism that Tamil Nadu was the most corrupt state in the country, the ruling AIADMK on Tuesday said the BJP leader only meant electoral corruption and it was not aimed at the government. Senior minister D Jayakumar said Amit Shah’s speech was poorly translated during the party event held in Chennai on Monday. “A national leader visits the state to strengthen the party and propagate his party’s principles, like any other party. He would have talked nicely about the government. I think the translator got it differently,” the minister said. The BJP president talked about cash for vote and AIADMK had nothing to do with it, he said. “DMK is notorious for its Thirumangalam formula (the January 2009 byelection in this assembly constituency was marked by allegations of voter bribing). There is also another ‘Token king’ (referring to allegations of voter bribing against T T V Dhinakaran in the December 2917 R K Nagar byelection). Amit Shah would have talked about it,” said the minister. Meanwhile, TNCC chief S Thirunavukkarasar said in Madurai that the BJP had no base in Tamil Nadu and Shah’s statement that Tamil Nadu was a corrupt state was highly condemnable. TNN
Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com
Chennai:11.07.2018
BJP president Amit Shah’s cryptic statement about Tamil Nadu being among the most corrupt states in the country may have created some political ripples, but senior leaders admit that AIADMK and actor Rajnikanth were very much in the saffron party’s scheme of things for forging a strong alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Much of Shah’s political speech targeted UPA and there was no mention of AIADMK, pointed out state BJP leaders. Ahead of Shah’s tour to Chennai on Monday fora party meeting to draft a TN strategy for the general elections, BJP national general secretary Muralidar Rao said Rajini would play a significant part in the party’s poll plans for the state.
Rajini’s preference for ‘spiritual politics’ would suit BJP’s Hindutva ideology, state leaders said. “There has been no open talk about alliance matters yet,” said an office-bearer of the party, who attended a meeting of senior leaders with Shah on Monday.
“But we read the mind of our leader during the meeting. It’s a clear message that our options are open. Rajinikanth and AIADMK are definitely on the top of the party’s list and even the DMK is not being ruled out,” said the leader.
BJP state president Tamilisai Soundararajan said that the party president had insisted on developing and strengthening all the microlevel committees and roping in representatives from all the dominant linguistic and caste groups.
“We will discuss about the alliances once we strengthen our base. We are aiming at increasing the booth level committee members to 1.25 lakh. We are half way to achieving it. But we are not ruling out any possibility,” she said when asked about potential alliance partners AIADMK and Rajinikanth.
The state BJP would strive to fulfill its Tamil Nadu Mission to have a strong presence in all the 66,000 booths for the coming election. But, it is keen on having superstar Rajinikanth with his huge mass appeal or a party like the AIADMK “that has widespread and deep rooted base” in Tamil Nadu or both.
“Such a combination will help us strengthen our base in the state. We are working on other options too,” said another leader, who attended the meeting.
‘Shah speech was poorly translated’
Chennai:
Seeking to play down BJP president Amit Shah’s criticism that Tamil Nadu was the most corrupt state in the country, the ruling AIADMK on Tuesday said the BJP leader only meant electoral corruption and it was not aimed at the government. Senior minister D Jayakumar said Amit Shah’s speech was poorly translated during the party event held in Chennai on Monday. “A national leader visits the state to strengthen the party and propagate his party’s principles, like any other party. He would have talked nicely about the government. I think the translator got it differently,” the minister said. The BJP president talked about cash for vote and AIADMK had nothing to do with it, he said. “DMK is notorious for its Thirumangalam formula (the January 2009 byelection in this assembly constituency was marked by allegations of voter bribing). There is also another ‘Token king’ (referring to allegations of voter bribing against T T V Dhinakaran in the December 2917 R K Nagar byelection). Amit Shah would have talked about it,” said the minister. Meanwhile, TNCC chief S Thirunavukkarasar said in Madurai that the BJP had no base in Tamil Nadu and Shah’s statement that Tamil Nadu was a corrupt state was highly condemnable. TNN
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