A day after the announcement of constituencies allocated to BJP in the AIADMK-led NDA in Tamil Nadu, senior BJP leader and former Telangana governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, who heads the party’s manifesto committee and is expected to be the BJP’s candidate for Mylapore, explains to TNIE’s Subashini Vijayakumar her views on seat-sharing and the key issues of this election.
Are you happy with 27 seats and list of constituencies allotted to BJP?
When it comes to an alliance, there is always the possibility of getting the seats we prefer or being allotted tougher constituencies. We have to accept such decisions. Our primary aim is to defeat the DMK and that is why we have ensured an amicable seat-sharing process, compared to the opposing (DMK-led) alliance. Union Minister Piyush Goyal has carefully worked out the allocations.
BJP has been allocated many seats in the south and not in the west. How do you see it?
We have got four seats in Kanniyakumari, where we are stronger. Since the Coimbatore region is also an AIADMK stronghold, we have received fewer seats there. It is like an adjustment within a family. We are not viewing these as AIADMK or BJP seats, but as NDA seats. We are very happy and will work for the alliance’s victory.
Many BJP supporters online are criticising the constituencies allotted to the BJP. Your take?
That is natural. We respect those sentiments as they come from people who care about the party. But in an alliance, some level of compromise is inevitable.
There is a perception that DMK has a stronger alliance. Do you think so?
We have already completed seat-sharing and constituency allocation, while they are still struggling with it. There are reports of friction within their camp, with some parties feeling discriminated and disappointed. Even long-term allies seem to be feeling left out. If you look at vote share, apart from DMK, none of their allies have a significant vote base. In contrast, AIADMK, BJP and PMK all bring substantial vote share. So both in terms of perception and numbers, we are stronger.
What do you think are the major issues in this election?
Misgovernance. This is an anti-people, anti-women government. Corruption is rampant. There is also a drug mafia and rising drug use.
Why is the opposition pressing on law & order issue? Is the situation worse than the previous AIADMK period?
Take the Thoothukudi case, where a 17-year-old girl was raped and murdered. Anyone who saw the family’s suffering would not vote for DMK. A community toilet built under Swachh Bharat Mission was locked, forcing her to go out in the open to relieve herself. That is a shame for the state government and an indication of how centre’s schemes are not reaching people.
DMK and its allies are strongly opposing the union government in terms of allocation of funds and other issues as a key poll issue...
That campaign will not work. The centre has given `11 lakh crore, but the state government is using it to blame the union government. PM Modi has visited Tamil Nadu 24 times in the last 10 years, and the chief minister could have met him directly to seek any pending funds. That is why even Edappadi K Palaniswami said it is better to have a state government that is cordial with the centre.
What can we expect in BJP’s poll manifesto?
We will spell out a long-term vision for the state, focusing on developing every village and improving job opportunities. We received 13,800 suggestions from people across TN over the phone, and 500-1,000 letters in each box placed in every district. That shows people are willing to share their ideas with the BJP. We have combined these inputs with our vision to create a comprehensive document. While the AIADMK has prepared a manifesto as its leader will be the CM if NDA wins, our document will include recommendations for both the state and central governments.