Did the state unit of BJP underestimate chief minister J.
Did the state unit of BJP underestimate chief minister J. Jayalalithaa’s personal equation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi or was it rather hasty when it took her on during the recent Assembly elections, especially raising the “CM inaccessible” issue
After Ms Jayalalithaa’s Delhi visit, the state leaders are left with no option but to justify her meeting with PM. This sudden embarrassment apart, the party here finds itself on a sticky wicket on several crucial issues.
As various political parties, including the ruling AIADMK, demand that the Centre retrieve the Katchatheevu island from Sri Lankan administration and thereby end the killings of innocent Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, the BJP claims retrieval would not resolve the fishermen’s problems.
“Retrieving Katchatheevu is not a solution. That’s why we are talking about encouraging deep sea fishing,” BJP state general secretary Vanathi Srinivasan explained.
Another controversy involves the granting of remission to Rajiv Gandhi assassins. The Tamil Nadu BJP wants them released as per law.
Though Mr Modi visited the state thrice and addressed four rallies during the run up to the Assembly election, he neither directly targeted Ms Jayalalithaa nor made any veiled references.
However, post Ms Jayalalithaa’s meeting with the PM, the party is finding it difficult to justify BJP national chief Amit Shah’s statements while campaigning in the state, when he accused the AIADMK of being the “most corrupt”.
Interestingly, only Union ministers: Nirmala Sitharaman and Pon Radhakrishnan who are from TN called on the CM at the Tamil Nadu House. Mr. Radhakrishnan who earlier said he would step down if Colachel port was not established, had sought the CM’s support for the project.
