CHENNAI: It was a day of absolute confusion for the State unit of the BJP after a report appeared in a web portal which claimed that BJP’s election in-charge Union Minister Prakash Javadekar had offered to announce DMDK founder Vijayakant as chief ministerial candidate and talks with Premalatha (wife of Vijayakant) were on to share seats on a 50:50 basis.
This understandably angered the State president Tamilisai Soundararajan who reacted strongly, making comments that many here see as the echo of an ‘angry mood’ prevailing in BJP circles over the ‘tactics’ of the DMDK on alliance talks.
“In 2014, the DMDK and other parties came together with a long-term vision. Now, even while holding talks with the BJP, “behind the screen” talks are going on with some other party. There is no need for the BJP to hold such indirect talks on alliance,” Tamilisai said without naming the DMDK, while talking to mediapersons.
Addressing a public meeting earlier, a visibly emotional Tamilisai went on to say: “We will form a strong alliance and it will get a big win. Even if we cannot forge an alliance, the BJP has the guts to contest all the 234 Assembly constituencies on its own.”
Referring to the remark made by DMK president M Karunanidhi that the fruit (DMDK) was ripening to ‘slip’ into the DMK-led alliance soon, Tamilisai said the BJP was not worried “whether the fruit falls in milk or falls down on (somebody’s) feet.”
Soon after the online report was picked up by regional channels, Tamilisai categorically denied claims made in the report, which raised eyebrows over whether there were disagreements within the party over the matter. It didn’t help that Javadekar took several hours to break the silence and ‘rubbish’ the report, threatening to move the Press Council of India on this issue.
On the other hand, the DMDK, which came out with a statement four days ago that Vijayakant was yet to hold talks on alliance, kept mum on this issue throughout the day.