The BJP, once considered as a party of dominant caste members, is now getting cadre from the Scheduled Castes as well, thanks to its state unit president L Murugan who is targeting Dalit functionaries in DMK, VCK and BSP.
BJP state chief L Murugan pays homage to Pulidevan in Coimbatore
Chennai:
VCK has lost two of its district secretaries to the BJP, an unusual political development in the state.
“One of the objectives of appointing Murugan as state chief is to bring in more Dalit cadre into the party and this is working. The BJP had always been considered as a party for the dominant community and elite. Now the party high command wants all the community members to join TN BJP and strengthen it,” said a BJP functionary wishing not to be named.
“We have to wait and watch how this works. For the past few days, more negative publicity is pitched in against us stating that the party is appointing cadre with criminal background. It shows that the Dravidian parties and their allies have started fearing the rise of BJP,” the functionary added.
“The state police on two recent occasions picked up two notorious criminals from BJP cadre enrolment functions. The BJP is getting new such enrolments, but I don’t believe that this will strengthen the party in the state,” VCK MP D Ravikumar told DT Next. Any party should get responsible cadre and those joining the BJP lack principles and ideology. The BJP practices the ideologies that are against the cultural practice of Tamils like, imposing Hindi, promoting hate among religions. It will not sell in Tamil Nadu, he felt.
Functionaries migrating from one party to another party is a regular phenomenon in politics. There is no legal bar on it. Functionaries are also leaving the BJP and AIADMK. The growth of any party can be judged only with the support of voters, he added.