CHENNAI: Just a fortnight after the BJP was defeated in all five seats it had contested in the recent Lok Sabha elections, some senior functionaries of the State unit on Thursday suggested going it alone in the ensuing local body elections. Sources said they aired their views at a meeting chaired by BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao and CT Ravi, co-in-charge of elections in
Tamil Nadu. Some others were of the view that having an alliance is feasible at this juncture. The BJP mega alliance including the AIADMK, PMK, DMDK and Puthiya Thamizhagam could win only one seat in Tamil Nadu. After the meeting, BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan admitted that the meeting discussed all reasons which led to the party’s defeat and ways to avert them in ensuing elections. “I am undertaking a State-wide tour to boost morale of the cadre from Friday. Senior functionaries will accompany me.
This exercise is aimed at telling the cadre and functionaries that defeat is temporary and also to take the welfare schemes of the Modi government to the people.”
AIADMK charge
Meanwhile, the ruling AIADMK on Thursday said ‘some vested interests’ were trying to create a rift in its alliance with the BJP, but indicated the parties were ideologically inclined beyond mere friendship.A write-up in the AIADMK’s mouthpiece ‘Namadhu Amma’ said misinformation was being spread about the Centre by saying that it was trying to impose a three-language formula.
“Though the poll alliance was an extension of friendship, the two parties speak in unison on primary issues like patriotism and worship of God..but some ‘family-owned media’ are desperate to create a rift between the ‘Leaf’ and ‘Flower’. The friendship between the high commands of the two parties, beyond politics, is unblemished. As such, one can only laugh at the reports about rift,” the AIADMK mouthpiece added.