BJP demands explanation from EPS, OPS after ex-minister says AIADMK lost power due to pact with it

CHENNAI: Two months after the AIADMK lost power in the Assembly elections, a former minister and senior leader of the party has blamed the BJP for its electoral defeat. The BJP condemned the charge and sought immediate clarification from top AIADMK leaders Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam on the issue.

The remarks made by CVe Shanmugam at a meeting of party office-bearers at Vanur in Villupuram district on Tuesday have given room for a fresh tussle between the two parties.

“People were ready to re-elect the AIADMK for governing the state but alliance arithmetic failed us. Since the minority community did not vote for us and due to some other reasons, we faced defeat,” Shanmugam said while addressing the office bearers. In the part of his speech when he spoke about his own achievements in Villupuram constituency, Shanmugam said, “Just because we have an alliance with the BJP, we lost the votes of minority communities totally. There are around 20,000 voters belonging to minority communities. But we were defeated by 14,000 votes.”

Strongly condemning the remarks, BJP state general secretary KT Raghavan tweeted: “We too have the same feeling,” suggesting that it lost many constituencies due to its alliance with the AIADMK.

When contacted, Raghavan told The New Indian Express, “I strongly condemn the remarks of CVe Shanmugam. Top leaders of the AIADMK should clarify this issue. When we reviewed the election results, BJP functionaries complained that the decisions taken by the AIADMK government during the past four years have led to the defeat of BJP candidates in many places. But keeping in mind the alliance dharma, we did not express such views in public.”   

Countering Shanmugam’s charge that the AIADMK had lost the votes of the Muslims just because it had an alliance with the BJP, Raghavan said, “The BJP won the Lok Sabha elections by winning 303 seats. In Uttar Pradesh where Muslims got 18 percent vote bank, they voted for the BJP candidates in areas like Meerut. In northeastern states where minority communities have a strong presence, the BJP is ruling.  Across the country, minority communities are voting in favour of the BJP. So, Shanmugam’s view are wrong.”

Asked whether this would affect the alliance between the AIADMK and the BJP in the ensuing elections to local bodies, Raghavan said, “Our party will take a decision on whether to have an alliance with the AIADMK for the local body elections only after the elections are notified.”

BJP state treasurer SR Sekar too took exception to Shanmugam’s remarks. “His remarks have deeply hurt the cadre and functionaries of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. Is this the view of Shanmugam or that of the AIADMK? He is a district secretary and former minister. AIADMK leaders Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam have to clarify whether the AIADMK agrees with this view or not. If not, both leaders should take disciplinary action against Shanmugam,” he said.

“If Shanmugam's reasoning is right, how come 66 AIADMK candidates won the elections despite having an alliance with the BJP? Also, in the western region where the BJP has a strong base, the DMK has been wiped out totally. In other words, just because AIADMK had an alliance with the BJP, it has swept the elections in the western region. There are two reasons for this sweep in the western region: firstly, the AIADMK's alliance with the BJP; secondly the individual AIADMK candidate's performance. Shanmugam has lost the elections due to his non-performance,” Sekar added.  

"Had Shanmugam felt that the AIADMK's alliance with the BJP was wrong, why did he contest the elections at all on the AIADMK ticket? Also, what does it mean by his statement that he was defeated because the minorities did not support him? Is it not an insult to the 87,000 voters who voted in favour of Shanmugam?" Sekar asked.

"There has been a tendency in Tamil Nadu to insult the votes of the majority community while glorifying the minority communities' votes. Shanmugam has reflected that tendency. His words indicate that he is particular about getting the votes of minority communities," Sekar added.

Questioned whether this clash of views would affect the alliance between the BJP and AIADMK for the ensuing local body elections, Sekar said, "It depends on who has expressed such views. Shanmugam is not a key leader of the AIADMK. Besides, he has spoken out of frustration after his defeat.”

Meanwhile, in a statement here, AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam clarified, “The AIADMK has full faith in BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Considering the interests of the nation and the welfare of Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK-BJP alliance will continue and there is no second opinion on this."  Usually, party statements are issued jointly by OPS and Edappadi K Palaniswami but this time, on a major issue, the former issued a statement on his own.