BJP may gain from Purohit’s TN posting
CHENNAI: Banwarilal Purohit will likely have the most eventful beginning among the five new governors as he takes charge of Tamil Nadu, where a bruising power struggle within the ruling AIADMK has upset calculations in the assembly.
A breakaway faction threatens to dethrone CM E Palanisami. The matter is currently in court where a decision could give Purohit his first major task: calling a floor test while all parties keep a close watch on his every move.
Experts say that Purohit’s presence in the Raj Bhavan is likely to help the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).
“What they did in Assam is known to everyone,” said professor Ramu Manivannan of Madras University.
Political commentator Gnyani Shankaran concurred with his view and said: “now they will do full time manipulating... The governor will be, ultimately, loyal to the centre and the BJP will definitely make use of him.”
Purohit is a veteran politician from Nagpur and has represented the Congress twice and the BJP once.
The post of Tamil Nadu gov- ernor freed last year when K Rosaiah retired.
The governor of Maharashtra, C Vidyasagar Rao, was given the additional gubernatorial responsibilities of Tamil Nadu, a role that often saw him rushing to Chennai as political developments unfolded in the southern state.
The principal opposition party, DMK, welcomed Purohit’s appointment and said that he hoped the new governor will be fair to all.
“The first litmus test faced by the governor and his political fairness will be how he judges the situation arising out of the ‘withdrawal of faith in CM’ by 18 MLAs that clearly brought the government into a minority, DMK president Stalin said in a statement.
But Stalin’s colleagues hinted at a suspicion that the hidden hand of the RSS could influence Purohit.
“As long as Modi is there, governors behave as politicians and we cannot expect any deviation from that,” said TKS Elangovan, DMK MP, without naming Purohit. Bhartiya Janta party ( BJP) state unit chief Tamilisai Soundarrajan was confident that the opposition will be proven wrong and governor Purohit will function in a positive manner.