CHENNAI: Days ahead of embarking on its Vetrivel Yatra, the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP released a video ostensibly aimed at promoting its campaign. Unusually though, for the BJP in Tamil Nadu, the video sought to project the State unit’s president L Murugan as the face of the party in the State. More unusually, the party used several shots of M G Ramachandran, founder of the AIADMK, its alliance partner.
In fact, only three leaders were highlighted in the 5.14-minute video — Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Murugan and MGR. This is also the first time, the BJP has projected a Dalit leader as its face in Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was reportedly upset over the use of MGR’s picture in the video and slammed the move last week when the teaser was released.
Taking strong exception to using MGR’s image, AIADMK spokesperson G Samarasan said on Friday, “The video gives the impression that the BJP and the AIADMK are organising the Vetrivel Yatra together. It is inappropriate and these scenes should be removed from that song,” he said. “No doubt MGR as a leader is above party lines. But, when the BJP uses his image for a particular purpose of the party, it is wrong,” Samarasan added.
Of course, this is not the first time the BJP has sought to appropriate leaders of other parties to build its image. Previously, the party’s leaders had invoked veteran Congress leader K Kamaraj while seeking votes. The video, produced by the State unit’s Arts and Cultural wing to highlight the Yatra, seeks to show Murugan as a firebrand leader who is out to achieve his goal, drawing outright comparisons with MGR in a way even Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has not attempted.
A dhoti-clad Murugan is seen walking through a paddy field, carrying a plough on his shoulder. Scenes of him ploughing a field or riding a tractor are interspersed with shots of MGR engaged in similar work.
Several shots of Modi are also seen as Murugan wears a T-shirt and walks on the roads of Chennai, performs Yoga and runs through a park.
“For India, Modi is a must and for us (Tamil Nadu), Murugan is a must,” go the lyrics of the song accompanying the visuals. Though the song is written to hail Lord Muruga, its language is such that it suits the BJP’s State unit chief as well. The song hails his qualities as a legal expert (shots of Murugan in a blazer, reading a thick book), one who is affectionate towards others and an affable party leader.
Significantly no other State BJP leader — neither seniors or new entrants such as former IPS officer K Annamalai or actor Khushbu — appear in the video. Recently, during the party reorganisation at the national level, Tamil Nadu was ignored with Vanathi Srinivasan receiving a key post later. When Murugan, who belongs to a Dalit community, was appointed the State president, many hailed it a masterstroke to break the impression that the BJP was a party dominated by dominant caste leaders.
The move was also hailed as forcing other parties to give similar importance to Dalit leaders. In this context, Murugan being projected as the face of the party in Tamil Nadu ahead of the Assembly elections is not only a departure for the BJP from projecting a single leader in this manner, but also the first time a non-Dalit-led party has built its campaign around a Dalit leader.