The AIADMK is gearing up to face the Lok Sabha elections on its own, according to M. Thambi Durai, propaganda secretary of the party and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
“This is the position of the party, as things stand today,” Mr. Thambi Durai told The Hindu on Friday.
Referring to deliberations during a recent meeting of the party executive, he quoted the observations of O. Panneerselvam, party coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister, who spelt out the organisation’s approach to the polls.
“He [Mr. Panneerselvam] reminded us that both during the 2014 parliamentary elections and the Assembly polls in the State, the party, under the leadership of Amma [Jayalalithaa], single-handedly approached the electorate. We won 37 seats in 2014 and retained power in the State two years later,” Mr. Thambi Durai said.
He also quoted Mr. Panneerselvam as saying that the question of alliance with other parties would be addressed at the time of the elections.
‘Loyal to Amma’s ideals’
When asked whether the party was now as powerful as it was when Jayalalithaa was at the helm of affairs for it to be able to go it alone in the polls, Mr. Thambi Durai said,
“The State government is following Amma’s (Jayalalithaa’s) polices. It remains steadfastly loyal to the ideals of regional pride and the promotion of Tamil language [and] culture, as cherished by Puratchi Thalaivar [M.G. Ramachandran] and Amma. So, we are confident of going it alone.”
Hits out at DMK
He contended that the DMK, which had been accusing the ruling party of being the “B team” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was inching closer to the BJP.
Its “lukewarm participation” in the Bharat Bandh, called by its ally, the Congress, early this month, and the “absence” of two of its Members of Parliament during the election to the post of the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, were instances that supported his stand, he said.
Besides, searches by the Central Bureau of Investigation on premises belonging to Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar and Director General of Police T.K. Rajendran were conducted at the “instigation” of the DMK, which had held demonstrations over the issue, Mr. Thambi Durai pointed out.