Chennai: Calling her “an entitled dynast”, Tamil Nadu’s Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP) chief Okay. Annamalai, has hit out at Kanimozhi for alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi doesn’t know Tamil historical past. Annamalai stated the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP “is a no one” with out her father and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.
“For those who take away Karunanidhi out of Kanimozhi (identify), she is a no one. So that’s the reason she doesn’t know in regards to the sengol (sceptre). A commoner in Tamil Nadu appreciates the Sengol as a result of it’s a reflection of a typical man, and Kanimozhi is a mirrored image of a dynasty,” he stated to ThePrint.
In the course of the first section of En Mann, En Makkal (My land, My folks), the padyatra that he started 28 July to garner assist for his celebration forward of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Annamalai additionally stated the state was in want of an alternate path, the trail of (PM Narendra) Modi.
Chatting with ThePrint Thursday whereas standing atop the Simha Vahanama (Lion Chariot), a modified automobile, Annamalai stated the BJP was poised to win many seats within the elections as Modiji has carried out quite a bit for the state and for the revival of Tamil tradition.
He stated that with the yatra, the celebration is taking to the folks the initiatives, initiatives, schemes of the Modi authorities however “we additionally take to the frequent man the corruption carried out by DMK and their dynasty politics. We need to re-emphasise that Tamil Nadu wants a reset of the political order.”
Prior to now 5 a long time, Tamil Nadu has been dominated by Dravidian events, and the final time a nationwide celebration shaped the federal government was in 1962, when the Congress was in energy.
The state BJP is hopeful that the previous 10 years of Modi governance will assist the celebration develop right here, he stated, including, “(For) many issues, we’re planting a seed and it’ll take time to develop. We’re visiting all of the historic locations, speaking about freedom fighters, visiting religious locations, that are all antithesis to the Dravidian motion and we need to awaken this within the younger folks.”
A number of instances throughout his march, he stated that the frequent query is whether or not PM Modi will contest the approaching Lok Sabha elections from Tamil Nadu. “All of the 543 constituencies in India anticipate the PM to contest from there. It was the identical in Ramanathapuram once I started the yatra and now, in Virudhunagar, folks need the PM to contest from right here,” he stated.
“They’ve seen the transformative change in Varanasi (the place Modi is the MP), they see the change and there may be nothing incorrect in folks anticipating this.”
Annamalai’s assault on Kanimozhi was in response to her speech in Lok Sabha a few days in the past, in the course of the debate on the no-confidence movement, the place she alleged that the PM didn’t know Tamil historical past, and questioned his determination to put in the sengol sceptre in Parliament. “You stated it was chola sengol, you don’t know Tamil Nadu’s historical past correctly. Have you learnt in regards to the Pandian sengol — the sengol that burned, shattered when the king failed the frequent folks. Have you learnt Kannagi? Please cease imposing Hindi on us and please learn the Cilapattikaram,” Kanimozhi had stated.
Annamalai additionally sought to minimize the allegation of Dravidian events that the BJP was a Hindutva celebration, and stated that the bottom actuality was totally different.
“After we go round, folks from the Muslim neighborhood come and present us the Quran, folks from the Christian religion give us the Bible…. Persons are fed up with this minority appeasement in Tamil Nadu. For the previous two years, now we have been internet hosting Iftar and Christmas events however we do it our approach. The BJP will not be right here to appease anybody… We’re right here towards corruption, for growth and that is the alternate path for the state, the trail of Modiji.”
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AIADMK assist & potential alliances?
With simply 4 legislators within the meeting, the BJP has been piggybacking on its ally, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
Dismissing the thought that there could also be any disagreements between the allies, Annamalai referred to as the yatra an effort to extend the unfold of the Nationwide Democratic Alliance (NDA) within the state.
“EPS (AIADMK chief Edappadi Okay Palaniswami) has his personal issues and his personal celebration to run, and I’ve my very own celebration to run. We’re all part of the NDA and we need to deliver Modiji again to energy with a majority and that’s the frequent objective now. It’s not needed that now we have to have the identical mindset on all points… there isn’t any downside so long as there’s a working relationship,” he stated.
Attributing over 65 per cent of the present vote share to the DMK and the AIADMK, Annamalai insisted that each celebration had the proper to develop within the state, and it was upon them to succeed in the folks and do their finest.
On the potential of an alliance with expelled AIADMK leaders, O. Panneerselvam (OPS), V.Okay. Sasikala and T.T.V. Dhinakaran (who later grew to become founding normal secretary of Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam), Annamalai stated, “Any celebration which isn’t a part of the NDA, in the event that they suppose the PM has to come back again to energy with an enormous mandate from TN, it’s for them to speak to the senior leaders of the BJP.”
He added that NDA allies have been part of the inaugural operate of the padyatra that happened in Rameshwaram.
OPS’s faction was not current for the NDA allies’ assembly in Delhi on 18 July, the place 38 political events had come collectively to showcase the bloc’s energy. However OPS’ son P. Ravindranath, the lone AIADMK MP of the NDA alliance from Tamil Nadu, although ousted from AIADMK, was invited to the 19 July NDA MP’s assembly.
Chatting with ThePrint then, political analyst Sumanth C. Raman had stated this transfer of the NDA “doesn’t set an excellent instance, will break the belief on the alliance and isn’t a good suggestion”.
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BJP vs corruption
In Tamil Nadu, the BJP’s election mantra has been to struggle towards corruption, stated Annamalai, noting that “the frequent man of the state has began speaking about DMK’s corruption”.
“To speak about corruption, it’s worthwhile to be clear. I’m not speaking about different events, I can vouch for the BJP and we’re the cleanest political celebration in Tamil Nadu now. Since we discuss this, folks join with us,” he stated.
Whereas calling the united opposition block INDIA a sand fortress, he stated, “All they want is one celebration leaving for the entire alliance to break down.”
He added that there can be a visual change within the voting sample within the state. “You will notice the leads to 2024, the place south Tamil Nadu and Kongu (western Tamil Nadu) belt will again the NDA alliance. For these outcomes, you don’t have to attend until 2026.”
The BJP-AIADMK alliance registered a 30.57 per cent vote share within the 2021 state meeting elections, with the AIADMK receiving 19.39 per cent votes, and the BJP getting 3.66 per cent on the 21 seats they contested, in keeping with the Election Fee information.
Annamalai and BJP employees stroll no less than 5 kilometres a day, and use automobiles to journey to the following constituency — aiming to cowl two constituencies day by day.
In addition they carry a grievance field. Annamalai advised ThePrint that they’d acquired 6,000-odd complaints by 10 August. “We type out complaints every day and can share the main points with the general public on the finish of every section. The primary section is getting over on 22 August. We’ll facilitate no matter we are able to, as a celebration. No matter must be moved as a grievance will even be forwarded.”
The yatra, which is cut up into 5 phases, will finish on 11 January, 2024, in Chennai.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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