‘Fighting against DMK, AIADMK is undoubtedly challenging for NDA’
While interacting with journalists of The Hindu, TMC(M) president G.K. Vasan says cadres of the NDA are able to match the work of the two Dravidian majors on the ground
Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) president G.K. Vasan on Tuesday said the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the State has taken a new avatar to ght both the Dravidian majors — the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) — and will “win a considerable number of seats” in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
While interacting with journalists at The Hindu ofce in Chennai, Mr. Vasan admitted that it is a challenging election for all fronts, particularly the NDA.
“This is not an easy election for anybody. It is a challenging election, especially for the BJP front. We have taken a new avatar, ghting against the DMK, the ruling party with money power, muscle power and government power.
TMC (M) president G.K. Vasan
On the other hand, we have the AIADMK, the party which ruled the State on many occasions and proved its vote share. So when we have decided to ght both these parties, no doubt it is challenging.”
Mr. Vasan also said the BJP has grown in the State, even at the village level. He said with the support of their allies, the PMK, the AMMK, the TMC(M) and former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam “who enjoys considerable clout in the southern part of the State”, the BJP-led front will be able to put up a tough ght.
He further said though the cadre base of the DMK and the AIADMK is more than that of the NDA, the latter’s partners are working hard on the ground to match the Dravidian parties.
NDA’s strength
He said, “On the ground, if about 50 cadres are working for the DMK and 45 for the AIADMK, we [NDA] have only around 25, but I am happy to see that we can still do the work of 50 cadres. That is the strength of the third front. Our cadres are going door-todoor to reach the people and tell them about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the economic growth, and safety of the country.”
Commenting on the electoral bonds issue, Mr. Vasan said, “There was one system for all the parties in India. The bonds were not only for the BJP. Naturally, whichever party is in power at the Centre would get more bonds.”
He also observed the ratio of electoral bonds received by the DMK was more than that of the BJP. “Among the regional parties, when compared to the BJP, the ratio of bonds received by DMK is high. I want to make it clear that the electoral bond scheme was introduced to create transparency. If the court feels there is no transparency in the scheme, let there be a new way. A common ground for all the parties, which will help the public to know the transparency of election funding.”
Inequality, unemployment among youth, ination of various commodities and household debt are at an all-time high in the country, said political economist Parakala Prabhakar, here on Tuesday.
Speaking at a national colloquium on the present political situation titled “The values at stake”, organised by Chennai Thinkers Forum, Mr. Prabhakar, who is also the author of the book The Crooked Timber of New India, said there is a serious unemployment problem in India, particularly among youngsters in the age group between 20 and 25. Mr. Prabhakar also quoted a report by the World Inequality Lab and said that inequality in India is at a historic high, even when compared to the British rule.
‘Values subverted’
Speaking at the event, N. Ram, Director, The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited, said the integral values of the Indian Constitution such as diversity, pluralism, secularism, equality before law, freedom of speech and expression, liberty, equality and fraternity have been subverted in the BJP’s “Hindutva autocratic regime”.
He also said the speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his election campaign in Bihar, a few days ago, accusing the Congress of boycotting the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya was a blatant violation of Model Code of Conduct. He further said the country has slipped in the World Press Freedom Index rankings released by Reporters without borders, post 2014.
N. Murali and N. Ravi, Directors, The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited; A.S. Panneerselvan, Fellow, Roja Muthiah Research Library in Chennai; Vijaya Thayanban, convener, and Manimegalai Thirunavukkarasu, member of Chennai Thinkers Forum, were among those who participated in the event.
Forecast for Wednesday: Heavy rainfall/snowfall likely at isolated places over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya. Thunderstorm with lightning/gusty winds likely at isolated places over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim, central Maharashtra, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalaseema, Kerala and Mahe.