The BJP is all set to “regain” its status as the untouchables of Indian politics, at least in Tamil Nadu. The results of the Assembly elections held in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh has hastened the isolation of the Hindutva party in Tamil Nadu.
There was an expectation among political circles in Tamil Nadu that the ruling AIADMK may forge an alliance with the BJP at the time of the Lok Sabha election. That hope lies buried by late Tuesday evening when Anwhar Raajhaa, the AIADMK MP, declaring that his party would not have any kind of alliance with the BJP . “The results of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are against the BJP. It may not be an endorsement of the Congress party,” said Raajhaa, the minority face of the AIADMK.
As on Wednesday, no political outfits in Tamil Nadu have any kind of alliance with the BJP. The Hindutva party suffered yet another setback in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday evening when Rajnikanth, the super star of Tamil films and who has announced his political dreams, made it known that the BJP has lost it’s influence in the three States where elections were held. “The performance in the elections is definitely a setback for the BJP,” Rajnikanth told reporters late Tuesday evening. The Tamil Nadu BJP had great hopes about an electoral alliance with the party to be formed by the actor. But his statement has dampened their expectations.
Group war is at its peak in Tamil Nadu BJP, according to party insiders. “There are four groups pulling the party in different directions. The leaders are fighting among themselves and have forgotten the directive issued by party president Amit Shah to enrol 60 lakh members in the party. “There are 60,000 polling booths in Tamil Nadu. Each booth should have 100 booth level workers to ensure that the party votes are cast without failure,” Shah had told a mammoth gathering at Chennai on December 20, 2014. But neither the party’s State chief nor others could enrol even 10 lakh members during the last four years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah need not spend their valuable time campaigning in Tamil Nadu during the Lok Sabha election, said G.Satyamurthy, veteran scribe and chronicler of the political history of Tamil Nadu. “Where are the cadres in the BJP. There may he hardly 1,000 activists of the party all over Tamil Nadu,” said Satyamurthy.
A senior leader said it would be better if the national leadership forget about the BJP. “Leaders in the State are vying with one another to get plum postings in various Central Government and public sector undertakings and they have prospered,” said the leader.
Satyamurthy pointed out that neither the Prime Minister nor the party president would be able to communicate with the cadre in Tamil. “People in Tamil Nadu do not know Hindi thanks to the Dravidian policies. I am yet to see someone properly translating the leaders’ Hindi speech into Tamil,” said Satyamurthy.