BJP upset with MDMK

By Radha Venkatesan

CHENNAI, OCT. 28. The State BJP is irked at the attitude of the MDMK which fielded candidates against it even while remaining part of the NDA at the Centre.

In several places, especially in Coimbatore, the MDMK damaged the prospects of BJP candidates by contesting separately. Actually, the BJP could have pulled off mayorship if the MDMK had not fielded a candidate in Coimbatore. While the BJP nominee lost by a little over 7,000 votes, the MDMK candidate polled about 11,000 votes in Coimbatore.

The BJP did not have real problems when the MDMK broke away from the DMK front for the Assembly election. At that time, the MDMK decided not to field candidates in constituencies where the BJP was in the fray. With the MDMK showing no such favour in the civic polls, the State BJP leadership is making its displeasure known in no uncertain terms.

The State BJP general secretary, Mr. L. Ganesan, says the MDMK had upset the chances of the BJP in several places. ``We will bring this to the notice of the BJP high command.''

The MDMK at one point was considered closer to the BJP than even to the DMK. Indeed, BJP leaders worked overtime to bring the MDMK back into the DMK alliance. Now, however, the BJP is in no mood to play mediator after having been hurt by the MDMK's hostile demeanour.

``We tried to get them into the alliance before the civic elections, but failed. There is no point in continuing such efforts,'' Mr. Ganesan says. From now on, the BJP would focus on strengthening its organisation to ``get a majority of its own'' in the next parliamentary election.

After having alienated the BJP too, the MDMK is in an unenviable situation. With the DMK appearing hesitant to have anything to do with the MDMK, there appears to be no option for the BJP but to drop the MDMK from the NDA before the next Lok Sabha election.

The MDMK, which drew a blank in the Assembly election after contesting alone, fared just as poorly in the civic polls. Indeed, it could not repeat its performance in the 1996 elections during which also it was without a major alliance partner. As against the six municipalities the MDMK won in 1996, it could obtain only two this time.

The party also lost its claims to being an alternative to the DMK and the AIADMK as the Congress-led front finished a respectable third, well ahead of the MDMK in most places.

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Section  : Southern States
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