The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `Alliance with AIADMK cost BJP heavily'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Alliance with AIADMK cost BJP heavily'

By S. Dorairaj

CHENNAI, MAY 13. The national executive committee member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former Union Minister, S.Thirunavukkarasar, today said that his party would have won at least two Lok Sabha seats in the State, had it not forged an alliance with the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

Apart from the anti-incumbency factor, the "behaviour and attitude of the Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary, Jayalalithaa, towards her electoral ally, cost the BJP-AIADMK combine heavily."

"Ms. Jayalalithaa interfered in the internal affairs of the BJP, dictating terms to its leaders on selection of candidates for the constituencies earmarked to the party." Total lack of coordination between leaders and activists of the two parties at different levels could be felt during the campaign, Mr.Thirunavukkarasar said.

The "AIADMK misrule", particularly the government's "anti-farmer, anti-poor and anti-government employees policies and measures" had a telling effect on the alliance.

The AIADMK leadership also failed to respond to the offer of support made by filmstar, Rajnikant, to the alliance, he said.

"Had the BJP fought the elections independently, it would have emerged victorious in at least two constituencies," he said.

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