The Hindu : ''BJP won't lose individuality''

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 22, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

''BJP won't lose individuality''

By Syed Muthahar

TIRUNELVELI April 21 . Even as the BJP president, Jana Krishnamurthy, claimed that his party's relationship with the DMK was `good', the State unit said it was `unfortunate' that the DMK decided to snap its ties unilaterally without taking any initiative for resolving differences through negotiations.

Replying to a question at a press conference here today, Mr. Krishnamurthy said even now DMK remained a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance. `My party is as close to the DMK as the latter is to us".

The NDA existed only at the Centre and not in the State. The BJP had been maintaining this stand from the beginning. For fighting elections, the BJP entered into an understanding with some constituents of the NDA in Tamil Nadu and Bihar.

Asked whether there would be any realignment at the Centre and in Tamil Nadu, the BJP president said, `I dont expect' (it to happen). To another question, he said, `to the best of my knowledge and information there is no chance of one party from Tamil Nadu replacing another in the NDA'.

Asked what would be the party's central leadership's stand if the Tamil Nadu unit wanted a change in the alliance in the State, Mr. Krishnamurthy said he would not reply to a hypothetical question. He had nothing to comment on the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa's statement that BJP would happily get rid of the DMK if it brought pressure on the Centre.

On whether the BJP depended on any one of the Dravidian parties in the State, as had the Congress, Mr. Krishnamurthy said his party had fought elections all alone till 1996. Even though it had tie-ups in the last three elections, the BJP was protecting its independent image. ``At no cost, will the party lose its individuality. It will also not shy away from contesting all alone".

A resolution adopted at the State general council meeting here pointed out that after the last Assembly elections the State BJP was extending support to the DMK, both inside and ouside the Assembly, whenever it sought help.

The BJP MLAs boycotted the Governor's address to the Assembly last year at the request of the DMK and also supported the party in the Rajya Sabha elections twice. Condemning the midnight arrest of the DMK chief, M. Karunanidhi, more than 6,000 BJP men courted arrest. Similarly the Centre and the party's central leadership extended their cooperation to the DMK on various issues.

Had the DMK had any difference with the State BJP, it should have resolved it through negotiations instead of unilaterally deciding to snap its ties with the BJP. But the party welcomed the DMK's continued support to the Vajpayee Government.

The meeting condemned the closure of direct procurement centres in the delta districts. The government ``excuse'' was unacceptable. H. Raja, MLA and general secretary of the State BJP, who briefed presspersons, said the general council decided to hold demonstrations in the headquarters of five districts— Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore— on April 27 demanding reopening of the DPCs.

S. P. Kirubanidhi, State BJP president, was in the chair.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

''BJP won't lose individuality''

Elangovan meets Nallakannu, begins secular front effort

A village where IT is a way of life

Orissa, T.N. sign MoU for tourism promotion

In-service training may be made mandatory

50 rural sub-registrars' offices to be closed

BSNL mobile phone service by May

Trade unions merger, a precursor to Cong. unity?

Focus on customer satisfaction: Prabhu

Cong. seeks `fair probe' into code violation

Resignation strikes at grass roots democracy