The fear that aligning with the BJP would cost the parties minorities’ votes has been proved wrong in Tamil Nadu many times over. Still, as countdown begins for the 2014 lok Sabha elections, secular political analysts and media experts who claim themselves to be the conscience keepers of Tamil Nadu warn mainline political parties in the State against aligning with the BJP, which according to them represent the Hindu interests.
Over the last few weeks, vernacular as well as the English media in the State, has come out with analysis and reports alerting major players from forging alliance with the BJP because according to them it would antagonise the minorities. “The traditional Christian and Muslim votes would go against parties aligning with the BJP,” Tamil Nadu’s self-declared conscience keepers shout from roof tops.
“This is the result of the fear that the agenda of the major political parties in Tamil Nadu are set not by the majority community but by the minorities,” M R Venkatesh, a chartered accountant turned political commentator told The Pioneer.
Interestingly, a look into the recent past by The Pioneer has thrown out some interesting data. Both the AIADMK and the DMK have harvested rich political dividends by aligning with the BJP. For that one has to take a look at the results of the General Elections held in 1996.
Elections to the lok Sabha and Tamil Nadu Assembly were held simultaneously in 1996. The results were devastating for the AIADMK which contested the elections in the company of the Congress. Since the election was fought in the backdrop of allegations of corruption against the AIADMK, results proved disastrous for the Jayalalithaa led party. The DMK front swept all the 39 constituencies in the State with the AIADMK drawing a blank. The AIADMK was obliterated in the elections held to the Assembly with Jayalalithaa herself losing from her Bagur constituency.
But the United Front Governments led by H D Devegowda and IK Gujral did not last long as the Congress pulled the rug which led to midterm elections in 1998. An intelligent Jayalalithaa formed a rainbow alliance which included the BJP and caused a political tsunami in Tamil Nadu by winning 30 out of the 39 seats at stake. This led to the formation of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA Government at the Centre.