The Hindu : Ties with BJP intact: DMK chief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 06, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Ties with BJP intact: DMK chief

By R.K. Radhakrishnan

CHENNAI MAY 5. Putting on a brave face despite the BJP decision to support the MDMK in Saidapet and remain neutral in Vaniyambadi, the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, today said the differences between the DMK and the State unit of the BJP would not affect relations with the BJP at the centre.

``Each party has the freedom to take its own decisions. On that basis they (the BJP) have taken this decision,'' he told reporters. There was no connection between the DMK's difficulties with the State BJP and its relations with the BJP-led NDA at the national level, he said.

Downplaying the significance of the BJP's announcement that it would not support the DMK in the byelections, he said the party had resolved at its general council meeting that it would be part of the NDA only at the centre. The NDA did not exist at the State level, Mr. Karunanidhi said. Reacting to the developments, the BJP State president, S.P. Kirubanidhi said there would be no move for a ``patch-up'' with the DMK. He would not be able to predict how the State-level NDA formulations would shape up in view of the current situation. ``We will have to wait and see,'' he said when asked if the differences would be sorted out in time for the next Assembly elections. In another move that widened the rift between the BJP and the DMK, the MDMK, which is also a constituent of the NDA at the Centre, announced that the State BJP leaders would participate in its election meetings at Saidapet. While the ruling AIADMK's ``misrule'' would be the focus of the campaign, the DMK also would come in for attack.

Asked if the differences between the NDA partners would help the AIADMK, the DMK chief said this was not new. The MDMK had contested against the BJP in the local body elections. This had led to the BJP's Mayor candidate losing in Coimbatore. There were other instances too. The MDMK general secretary, Vaiko, said the NDA existed at the national level. There were many instances of parties belonging to the alliance contesting against each other. There was nothing wrong in this.

Despite Mr. Vaiko's appeal today to support it in Vaniyambadi, the BJP maintained that it would remain neutral. ``Even before Mr.Vaiko requested our support, we had decided to take a neutral stand at Vaniyambadi. This is the decision of our decision-making body. I cannot change it,'' Dr. Kirubanidhi said.

Meanwhile, the MDMK followed the AIADMK in announcing a Hindu candidate for the May 31 byelections to the Muslim-majority constituency, Vaniyambadi. It renominated its unsuccessful candidates from the 2001 Assembly elections for the seats: the 33-year-old student wing leader, P.Subramani, from Saidapet and the 43-year-old Union councillor, R. Lakshmi Kanthan, from Vaniyambadi.

The MDMK welcomed the BJP's announcement of supporting its candidate at Saidapet, but refused to comment on the impact of the move on the BJP-DMK ties. ``That is between those two parties. I would not like to comment on it,'' Mr. Vaiko said.

Asked whether the DMK would seek the support of secular parties outside the NDA, Mr. Karunanidhi said, ``Depending on the situation they will support.''

But pointing to the happenings in the Chennai Corporation, he said that even the secular parties had joined hands with the BJP and the AIADMK to get elected to the various committees.

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