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TN BJP gives cars to 4 district secretaries who worked for party’s victory
Such rewards to district secretaries are common in Tamil Nadu where the DMK and AIADMK have earlier offered gold to party functionaries who bring successful poll results. The BJP has been trying to get a foothold in the Dravidian heartland after the demise of former chief ministers J Jayalalithaa in 2016 and M Karunanidhi in 2018.
Four of BJP’s district presidents in Tamil Nadu received an SUV each on Sunday as reward for helping the party win four assembly seats in the April 6 state elections for which results were announced on May 2.
Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief L Murugan, who has now been elevated as a Union minister of state, had promised an Innova car to district functionaries who worked to ensure victory of the party’s MLA candidates in the 2021 assembly polls. After a gap of twenty years, the BJP entered the assembly in Tamil Nadu this May with four MLAs.
BJP contested 20 seats as part of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) led alliance in Tamil Nadu and won in Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, and Modakurichi apart from a nail-biting contest in Coimbatore South. Murugan had said after the results were declared that their win is a strike against all those who ridiculed the BJP’s symbol in Tamil Nadu. Murugan is touring the state as part of the Jan Aashirwad Yatra. At the Chennai BJP office, he distributed the car keys of Toyota Innova Crysta to Maharajan (Tirunelveli), Dharmaraj (Kanyakumari), Sivasubramanian (Erode), and Nandakumar (Coimbatore).
“This was done to recognise hard working district secretaries who won despite the climate here being against us,” said senior BJP leader CP Radhakrishnan. “Previously such rewards were given by the DMK. It’s the first time we are doing it and party workers will be enthused.” The cars were purchased using party funds.
Such rewards to district secretaries are common in Tamil Nadu where the DMK and AIADMK have offered gold to party functionaries who bring successful election results. The national party has been trying to get a foothold in the Dravidian heartland after the demise of former chief ministers J Jayalalithaa in December 2016 and M Karunanidhi in August 2018. While it is evident that the Dravidian parties still hold sway in Tamil Nadu with the DMK winning a majority and the AIADMK finishing second with 66 seats, the BJP’s modest performance has kept its ambition of becoming a dominant force in the state by 2026, alive.
The BJP had last won four seats in Tamil Nadu in 2001 in alliance with the DMK. Currently, the BJP is focussed on the upcoming local body polls for which the party has formed a 17-member panel for preparations. The alliance with the AIADMK is likely to continue. “Some more work and attention is all that’s required for the BJP to grow in Tamil Nadu,” said Radhakrishnan.
