Modi visiting T.N. to make up for loss in North: Stalin
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had been visiting the southern States, particularly Tamil Nadu, to make up for the loss awaiting them in the northern States that used to be their stronghold.
“The BJP government led by Mr. Modi is facing stiff opposition in the northern States that used to be its source of strength. That is why Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah seek to make up for it in the southern States. In the southern States, particularly Tamil Nadu, the ideology of the BJP is against the mindset of the people,” he told The Hindu.
He said the purpose of this election was to decide who should not come to power rather than who should come to power. “Mr. Modi was in the fray with the mask of ‘Gujarat model’ and ‘hero of development’. The mask has slipped and today he has been exposed as ‘corrupt Modi’. People are angry because he has damaged the entire country for his selfish politics.”
He also asserted that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s one visit to the State is equivalent to 10 visits of Mr. Modi. “It is like the saying, Oru thadavai sonna nooru thadavai sonna maadhiri [saying it once is equivalent to saying it a 100 times],” he said, recalling the punchline from Rajinikanth’s film Baasha.
Noting that prime ministerial candidates were not projected in all elections in the history of Indian elections, Mr. Stalin said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in 2004 secured victory without projecting a prime ministerial candidate and Manmohan Singh became the Prime Minister of the country.
“It is history that he ruled the country for 10 years. The history created in 2004 will be repeated after 20 years now,” he said.
Asked whether the BJP would be able to increase its vote share in Tamil Nadu in the Lok Sabha election, the Chief Minister said there was an attempt with the help of the media to construct a myth that the BJP was growing. “But the BJP can never take root in Tamil Nadu. The party does not have the intention to genuinely poll even 100 votes through good schemes for Tamil Nadu. Since it is in power, it receives the attention of the media. That’s all,” he said.
Mr. Stalin rejected the perception that the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) may gain some traction in the election since it had snapped ties with the BJP and that its leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami had proved wrong the allegation that he and his party were slaves to the BJP. “The separate front led by the AIADMK is a oneact play that is being enacted with the blessings of the BJP’s leadership. He is not just a slave, he is a bonded labourer to the BJP. He is not ready to open his mouth against the BJP even after snapping ties with the party. It is more atrocious than his behaviour when he was part of the BJP alliance,” Mr. Stalin said.
He also did not agree with the argument that only a multicornered contest was working in favour of the DMK, saying that elections should only be judged based on the trend on the ground. “Has the rival camp discovered the reasons for their defeat even before the results are declared? Were these parties not part of the same front in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and 2021 Assembly election? Still they were defeated,” he pointed out.
Talking about the election manifesto of the BJP, Mr. Stalin said Mr. Modi would always give guarantees without any warranty.
“They have cut and pasted their old promises. People have ignored the promises because they have come to the conclusion that he was not going to form the government. People have not taken the BJP’s manifesto seriously. They have prepared a manifesto without the word ‘India’. People will create an India without the BJP in the election,” he said.