With just three days left before campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu ends, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami ups his attack on the BJP in an exclusive interview with The New Indian Express. Accusing the BJP of riding an imaginary horse in Tamil Nadu, he says it is AIADMK vs DMK on the electoral field.
You have been on a whirlwind tour of the state for more than three weeks now. How do you assess the mood in the state?
During my campaigns, I directly feel that the people are disappointed and dissatisfied with the central and state governments. In every sector, people have their disappointments.
The state government has not launched any development scheme even three years after assuming office. Similarly, the central government has ignored Tamil Nadu. They are only making empty promises. The people expect a government that delivers them the goods at the centre and the state. The people want a central government that respects the rights of the states.
In our campaign, we are highlighting the interests of Tamil Nadu and the shortcomings of all the parties contesting against us. We also highlight the fact that the DMK-led alliance, which had 38 MPs, never raised its voice in Parliament for the welfare of Tamil Nadu in the last five years.
What is your assessment of the three years of the DMK government led by Chief Minister MK Stalin? The government lists several welfare measures implemented for different sections of society.
DMK’s claim that it has implemented all welfare measures is a blatant lie. They are repeatedly claiming the schemes initiated by the AIADMK government in the past as those started by the Stalin-led DMK government. He is not able to list any new schemes initiated by his government. The DMK government has stopped the schemes to provide laptops to students, Amma mini-clinics, and thaaliku thangam (gold for marriage) and is instead providing cash assistance to girl students. The scheme to provide free bus rides for people above 60 years of age has been extended to women. The Chief Minister is repeatedly talking about only these. He is not able to talk about any new development schemes because they don’t have any.
Farmers, fishermen, government employees, weavers, and MSME units – all of them are protesting. All industries, particularly MSME units and textile units, have been severely affected because of the increase in electricity tariffs. The confusion around registration fees has severely affected the real estate sector. Government employees, teachers and transport employees are also protesting since the DMK government has failed to fulfil the promises made to them. There is widespread unemployment. All sections of the people have been affected during the three years of the DMK rule.
Moreover, the Chief Minister has only been making personal attacks against us in undignified language. The Chief Minister's campaign clearly shows the people of Tamil Nadu that he has nothing to talk about as DMK's schemes.
The BJP leaders have been claiming that the electoral field has undergone a marked change and the fight is now between the BJP and the DMK. How do you respond to this?
As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, the contest is between the AIADMK and the DMK. Anyone can compete for third place. BJP is riding an imaginary horse.
BJP state president K Annamalai has said that the AIADMK would vanish after the current Lok Sabha elections. He said there is no need for a party that has only one ideology, which is to oppose the DMK. How do you view this remark?
I have already made it clear. A leader whose routine is to address the media before boarding a flight and after deboarding a flight is facing the electoral field without meeting the people directly. The people of Tamil Nadu will give a befitting reply to this in this election. Let them first grow their party. We can talk after that.
The State has always resisted the imposition of Hindi. BJP State President K. Annamalai has likened the anti-Hindi agitation to "old, torn footwear". As the head of a Dravidian party, what is your take on this comment?
The AIADMK will always sincerely follow the two-language policy advocated by our party’s guarding deities Puratchi Thalaivar (late Chief Minister and AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran) and and Puratchi Thalaivi Amma (late CM and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa). We are not enemies of any language. But when efforts are taken to make that (Hindi) a national language, we will firmly oppose them.
You have repeatedly said that the INDIA Bloc will not win this election. By saying so, are you not implying that the BJP will form the government again?
In this election, neither the INDIA bloc nor the NDA will get the victory they are hoping for. But we will be with those who stand for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu and who do good for the state. In our campaign, we are highlighting the interests of Tamil Nadu and the shortcomings of the opposing parties. Wherever necessary, I have been speaking about the BJP and Congress and the ills they have caused Tamil Nadu.
How do you respond to the allegations that you are have a tacit understanding with the BJP?
After Chief Minister MK Stalin and minister Udhayanidhi Stalin met the Union Finance Minister and central ministers at the Delhi airport, searches and raids (by central investigation agencies) against the DMK leaders stopped. Since Stalin is in power, he is the one who is more in need of maintaining such clandestine relationships. We have no need. We have explicitly left the BJP (alliance). It is the DMK which is maintaining a clandestine relationship.
You have expressed confidence that the AIADMK-led alliance will win a large number of seats. If that happens and if the BJP ends up in a situation where it needs your support to form the government, will the AIADMK consider lending support?
In a diverse country like India, regional parties alone safeguard the interests of the states. They serve the people in accordance with the state's interests. For us, the interests of the people of Tamil Nadu are important. Let us wait and watch.
You have clearly articulated your position that being in a coalition with national parties has proved to be an impediment for a regional party like AIADMK to effectively fight for the state’s rights. You have said that this was one of the key reasons for the AIADMK to walk out of the NDA alliance. Would it mean that AIADMK will never ally with the BJP or Congress in the future?
Though we had an electoral alliance (with the BJP) for a few particular reasons, there were differences on many issues. The policies of the BJP are against the interests of Tamil Nadu in many areas and affect the state. It is the unanimous view of the AIADMK that continuing to travel with the BJP is not good for the welfare of the party and the state. Hence, we exited the NDA. As I already said, there is no alliance with the national parties.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, you were hopeful of forging a mega alliance to face the polls. However, that did not materialise. DMK has managed to keep its alliance intact. Do you think the AIADMK misjudged the political scenario?
The alliance we have now is also a mega and strong alliance. The strength of an alliance is not in the numbers but in functioning as one during the election. Everyone can see how united our alliance is. Our vote bank remains with us. So what others think is immaterial to us.
This is the first election AIADMK is facing after the party has come under a single leadership with you as its general secretary. You have made the bold decision of contesting the election virtually alone except for support from a few smaller parties. Can this election be taken as a referendum on your leadership of the party?
We are students of Puratchi Thalaivar MGR and Puratchi Thalaivi Amma. Amma gave me opportunities to contest in 10 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. My political life started as the secretary to the party’s branch unit. Later, I was given the opportunity to work as the secretary of (erstwhile integrated) Salem district in 1991. Since then, I have had the experience of facing elections along with alliance partners and ensuring the victories of party and alliance candidates. All our headquarters functionaries are working unitedly.
After Amma’s demise, as per the objectives for which the party was started, we naturally won over the conspiracies of enemies and traitors. AIADMK serves as an example of a party in which an ordinary cadre can rise to the top. That is why all our cadres continue to travel with us. Our vote bank remains with us.
Hatred and distrust towards the state and central governments are on the rise and the support for AIADMK is growing. Our alliance will win in all 40 constituencies, including Puducherry.
Under the leadership of Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK was known for providing more participation for women in the party apparatus. Will that happen again? The number of women candidates put up by the party in this Lok Sabha election is very low.
The AIADMK will always continue to award women the same importance on the path shown by Puratchi Thalaivi Amma. This is why AIADMK continues to be the party that enjoys overwhelming support from women. We have even appointed women as district secretaries. For this election, candidates were chosen based on education, their efforts and party-related work from among those who expressed interest to contest.
You have given opportunities to many new faces in this election. However, some are viewing this as a reflection of reluctance among senior members to contest in this election. How do you respond to this?
We are only following the footsteps of Puratchi Thalaivar MGR and Amma. AIADMK has been giving opportunities to new faces since the beginning. It is an indication of the party’s growth and our democratic functioning. Moreover, our candidates look like newcomers to you, but in their respective constituencies, they have held important responsibilities for many years as union and district secretaries. They have the experience of working in several elections.
You have been vociferous about your criticism of the DMK government's functioning. However, you have not reacted strongly to the alleged high-handedness of the union government, particularly the unprecedented arrests of the Jharkhand and Delhi Chief Ministers.
We are facing elections in Tamil Nadu. We are focussing in detail on problems in the state and the damage the central government’s policies caused to Tamil Nadu in our campaigns. We have not held back from criticising the BJP wherever necessary. In the majority of the constituencies, it is AIADMK vs DMK in the electoral field. Hence we criticise them more.
The BJP has raised the Katchatheevu issue in a big way, blaming the DMK and the Congress. Former CM Jayalalithaa had also criticised the DMK on this issue. What is your view on the BJP taking up this issue now? What happened to the case filed by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for retrieving Katchatheevu, referring to the Berubari case? Will the AIADMK pursue the case, which has been pending for many years?
The BJP is doing politics for the elections. Puratchi Thalaivi Amma moved the Supreme Court on the Katchatheevu issue in 2008 when the AIADMK was in the opposition. In 2011, when AIADMK came to power, she impleaded the state revenue department in the case. After (Prime Minister) Modi came to power in 2014, she raised this issue with him several times through letters and when she met him personally. She explained to him how the external affairs ministry had filed that same affidavit in the Supreme Court as the one filed by the previous Congress-DMK at the centre (where the ministry stated that the maritime boundary between the two countries was a settled issue). She requested him to ensure his direct intervention in resolving the Katchatheevu issue. We continued to urge (for the same). However, like the DMK, the BJP Government also failed to submit an appropriate response to the Supreme Court and repeatedly sought adjournments in the last 10 years.
In the Katchatheevu issue, the DMK, Congress and the BJP have all taken stances harmful to Tamil Nadu. There is no difference between them. This is why we are contesting alone since only the respective regional parties can strongly articulate for their states’ welfare. I feel obliged to point out that DMKm which had 38 MPs since 2019, also betrayed the interests of Tamil Nadu like its late president M Karunanidhi (had done).