Social Democratic Party of India’s State president Nellai Mubarak on Tuesday said the party is not in alliance with T.T.V. Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) anymore and reiterated that the responsibility of uniting the anti-BJP forces and strengthening the Opposition falls on secular parties.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Mubarak said the party’s infrastructure and support base amongst the Muslims had grown significantly in Tamil Nadu.
“We are not a party of any alliance in Tamil Nadu. We are not in alliance with T.T.V. Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam. We are determined to stop fascist BJP (and AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu,” he said. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, SDPI contested in the Central Chennai Parliamentary constituency and polled 23,741 votes.
Asked if the onus is on the bigger secular parties to reach out to parties representing the Muslim minorities, Mr. Mubarak said, “Though it has no base in Tamil Nadu, the BJP is trying to make inroads by stoking religious feelings. SDPI continues to oppose the BJP. We want to be a part of the secular alliance. However, the secular parties also have a responsibility to unite the Opposition.”
Mr. Mubarak said that while the party understands the need for a united Opposition in Tamil Nadu, it also needs to think about how to enter the State Assembly. “We have no disagreements with the idea that BJP should be defeated in Tamil Nadu and that the Opposition to AIADMK-BJP alliance should be strengthened so that Muslim votes are not split in any way,” he said. “However, I would like to state that our electoral strategy would be aimed at winning seats in Tamil Nadu. We will take a decision (about the alliance) in January in such a way that it supports development of Tamil Nadu,” he added.
