Though the BJP in Tamil Nadu had given enough hopes in the 2014 lok Sabha elections that it would emerge as an alternative to both the Dravidian majors, the saffron party is facing a serious crisis in the poll-bound State. The party that headed the seven-party National Democratic Alliance in the 2014 General election in Tamil Nadu finds itself sans any allies or friends in 2016.
While all major political outfits have forged alliances for the May 16 elections to the Assembly, the BJP leadership in Tamil Nadu is groping in the dark for allies. A senior leader of the BJP, SV Sekhar, who was inducted into the party by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has come out in the open challenging the cartel that controls the BJP in Tamil Nadu. “My humble request is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and national president Amit Shah should keep away from Tamil Nadu elections under the present conditions. Whatever good name and reputation the party earned because of Modi and Shah has been thrown to the winds by the State leadership of the party,” Sekhar, propaganda secretary of Tamil Nadu BJP told The Pioneer.
He blamed Union Minister of State for Surface Transport Pon Radhakrishnan for the present state of affairs in the State BJP. “It is a cartel consisting of Radhakrishnan and organising secretary Mohan Rajulu who are responsible for the BJP’s failure to take roots in Tamil Nadu,” said Sekhar, who also disclosed that he has been asked not to appear in TV debates by the State leadership.
K Baalu, spokesman of PMK, who was involved in the formation of NDA in the 2014 lok Sabha election in Tamil Nadu said the BJP should have deputed a person with organisational skills and leadership qualities to take care of the party. "P Muraleedhar Rao, the secretary in-charge of Tamil Nadu has been a total failure. look at the way how the seven-party NDA headed by the BJP disintegrated in Tamil Nadu. The State leadership or Rao couldn't help the NDA from disintegrating,' said Balu.
Party insiders say Muraleedhar Rao, who has been described by a CPI(M) leaning daily as a sharp political strategist is running behind fringe parties like Indian Jananayaga Katchi and New Justice Party which are shunned by all major political formations in the State. There are reports that leema Rose, wife of lottery mafia don Santiago Martin, is being fielded by the IJK with the support of the BJP. Santiago Martin is an accused in 32 cases of lottery fraud and also in a Rs 4500 crore defeauding case filed by the Government of Sikkim. Even the DMK shied away from admitting him in the party though he produced a film in 2011 which was scripted by M Karunanidhi. The Enforcement Directorate attached assets worth Rs 122 crore of Martin in connection with a multi-crore lottery scam.
Radhakrishnan told reporters on Saturday that he would announce the alliance partners of the BJP on Saturday. "Other than the IJK and the NJP, there are no political outfits in Tamil Nadu with which the BJP could forge an alliance as on date," said a party insider.
"The problem with Tamil Nadu BJP is that a section of the present leadership is against the growth of the party in the State. Their fear is that if the party grows they may have to move out as leaders with more capability would emerge in the BJP," said another former alliance leader.