Exuding optimism about riding the ‘Narendra Modi wave’, MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Saturday said the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate would become the next PM even without factoring in the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Speaking to media after releasing the MDMK manifesto at the party headquarters here, he said the NDA led by the BJP would get absolute majority to form the government on its own after the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. “But BJP leader Rajnath Singh has promised that the parties in the alliance would be constituent partners of the government to be formed by the BJP,” Vaiko said.
“Tamil Nadu has been betrayed by the Congress-led coalition government at the Centre on many issues, including inter-State water disputes. It has been a mute spectator to many anti-Tamil measures, including the genocide in Sri Lanka, and Dam Safety Act that would affect Tamil Nadu people adversely. The people of the State should teach a lesson to the Congress.” The MDMK leader said only if the people of the State vote in favour of the NDA, ignoring the AIADMK and DMK, the rights of the Tamil Nadu people could be protected.
Asked whether the BJP would accept the MDMK’s promise to rechristen India as the United States of India, Vaiko said, “There is no need for accepting all the policies and ideologies of a political party by another. It is our long-term agenda. For federalism to blossom in India all states in India should get equal rights and the existing powers with the Central government should be decentralised.” The issue was first projected by the MDMK in its Kancheepuram conference.
Reacting to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s remarks during her campaign at Virudhunagar that votes polled in favour of parties other than the AIADMK would ‘go waste’, Vaiko said “She is entitled to her opinion. But I believe that your vote would be wasted if you vote for anyone other than the BJP-led alliance as others might try to take outside support of the Congress after the elections just for the sake of power,” Vaiko said.