New Delhi [India], April 9 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Nabin has expressed confidence that a NDA government will be formed in Tamil Nadu and the ruling DMK-led alliance will get a strong reply from people to “corruption and politics of appeasement”.
In an interview with ANI, he also said that former state president K Annamalai is not upset over the party’s decision not to field him in the assembly polls and is taking part in the campaign.
“Annamalai contested the Lok Sabha elections. He participated in the campaign yesterday. There is no unhappiness anywhere. Party fights the polls as a unit,” Nabin said.
Nitin Nabin, who assumed charge as BJP President in January this year, said AIADMK is the bigger partner in the alliance, and the BJP respectfully brought together all the partners, and the NDA is fighting as a front. The BJP is contesting 27 seats in the state.
“The results in Tamil Nadu will also surprise you. The corruption of DMK and the appeasement politics they have done, they are going to get a strong answer to that (from the people). NDA will form a government in Tamil Nadu. There are definite signs that there will be a change,” he said.
Annamalai had clarified last week that he “wasn’t denied a ticket”, but he chose not to contest.
Talking to reporters, he expressed gratitude to the party leadership for respecting his decision, adding that he had already submitted a written communication stating that he would not contest from any constituency but would instead campaign for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
“I had already informed the core committee in writing that I would not be contesting in any constituency. Therefore, it is not that I was denied a ticket. The truth is that I chose not to contest the election,” Annamalai said.
Asked about criticism from the DMK that the Centre does not release funds for some projects, and it is a kind of “blackmail” with voters, with BJP leaders making same promises, Nitin Nabin rejected allegations of any discrimination or withholding sanctions.
“DMK people should know that BJP does not have governments in every state. In the Northeast, we brought development and later our governments were formed. Kerala has got metro projects. We have never looked at development based on which party is in power. This was Congress thinking that where it has votes, there should be development. We have absolute clarity that we have to take the development to every citizen whether the person votes for us or not,” he said.
Nitin Nabin, who is the youngest BJP chief, emphasised that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, welfare schemes are being implemented without discrimination.
“We do not talk of development in terms of votes. It is a wholistic approach for us. This is not our approach that we will not do development in places we do not get votes” he added.
Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, and votes will be counted on May 4. The contest involves the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), National Democratic Alliance and actor-turned-politician Vijay’s TVK, which is making its electoral debut. (ANI)