'BJP will play major role in Tamil Nadu's development': Tamil Maanila Congress (M) chief GK Vasan

Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) president GK Vasan appealed to the people to support Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tamil Nadu while he campaigned for the party's candidate in the Chidambaram Lok Sabha constituency of Ariyalur district on Friday.

Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) president GK Vasan appealed to the people to support Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tamil Nadu while he campaigned for the party's candidate in the Chidambaram Lok Sabha constituency of Ariyalur district on Friday. Vasan's Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) has joined hands with the BJP earlier in February this year and will be contesting the Lok Sabha elections under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state.

Vasan campaigned for BJP's candidate Karthiyaini contesting from the Chidambaram seat in Thirumanoor area. While addressing the voters in the constituency, Vasan hit out at the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) accusing state government of failing to properly implement its poll gurarantees. "The DMK government is a government that makes false promises and does not fulfill them. DMK knows how to take away the same amount by giving Rs 1000 as women's allowance and denying it, that is the Dravidian model government. With your votes for BJP, we can end the 55-year Dravidian rule and bring back the Kamaraj rule. BJP has an important role to play in the development of Tamil Nadu," he said.

The Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) pointed out the Cauvery river water issue between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka alleging the alliance between both ruling parties to be 'fake'. "Also, regarding the (Cauvery) water issue held in Karnataka yesterday, it said that it cannot provide water to Tamil Nadu, but the fact that the DMK government did not give any comment shows that the Karnataka Congress is in a fake alliance with DMK," Vasan said.

Tamil Maanila Congress - Moopanar was among the first parties to ally with BJP after the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam severed ties with the party earlier this year. However, the DMK, which remains a preeminent force in the state, is expected to benefit from the split in the principal opposition player in the state--the AIADMK. In 2019, the DMK-led secular alliance swept the Lok Sabha polls in the state, winning 38 of the 39 seats in the state.

The DMK, which is contesting 22 seats, leads an eight-party alliance that includes the Congress, which is contesting 9 seats; the CPI(M) and the CPI that are contesting 2 seats each; the Indian Muslim League, which has fielded a lone candidate; the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, which is contesting 2 seats, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which has fielded a lone candidate; and the Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi (KMDK), whose candidate will contest on the DMK symbol. The AIADMK, which is leading an alliance of four parties in the Lok Sabha, will contest 34 seats while its partners Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam will contest 5, the Puthiya Tamilagam and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) one each. However, the latter two parties will contest the polls on the AIADMK symbol.

The BJP, which is contesting 23 seats, will go into the polls with nine other partners; including the Pattali Makkal Katchi on 10 seats), the Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) on 3 seats, former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK leader O Pannerselvam, who is contesting as an Independent; Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMU), headed by TTV Dhinakaran, on 2 seats, and the Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi, Puthiya Needhi Katchi and Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam on one seat each. All 39 seats of Tamil Nadu will poll in the first phase of the general elections on April 19 and the counting of votes, along with those from other phases, has been scheduled for June 4.

The elections to 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases, starting April 19. (ANI)

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