Chennai: Although DMK’s efforts to push for a Tamilian as INDIA bloc’s vice-presidential candidate failed, the ruling DMK and its allies in Tamil Nadu say that they will not give in to the BJP’s “identity politics” and will back the INDIA bloc candidate.
Speaking to ThePrint on Tuesday, DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan said the party would not support NDA candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan just because he is a Tamilian.
“Though he is a Tamilian, he is a BJP candidate. We have to look at what the BJP has done for Tamil people and Tamil Nadu as a state. Ideology is above all for us,” Elangovan said.
After several discussions, on Tuesday afternoon, INDIA bloc alliance announced Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, former Supreme Court judge and a native of Telangana, as the vice-presidential candidate of the INDIA bloc alliance.
Elangovan said they would support Justice B. Sudershan Reddy’s candidature for Vice-President.
“BJP is known for such identity politics. They made a Dalit and a Tribal the President of the country, but did they do anything for those oppressed communities? Similarly, announcing a Tamilian as a vice-presidential candidate will not help Tamils in any way,” Elangovan told ThePrint.
The CPI(M) in Tamil Nadu has also echoed the views of the ruling DMK. “When the BJP announced a Dalit and a Tribal candidate for the President, only their caste identity was projected and highlighted across the platforms. But, they did little for the community. Even the Constitution does not allow them to function independently. Hence, there is no point in supporting C.P. Radhakrishnan, since he will also be playing the tunes of the RSS and BJP,” CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam told ThePrint.
After the BJP-led NDA announced C.P. Radhakrishnan, a native of Coimbatore from Tamil Nadu as the vice-president candidate, the ruling DMK had found itself in a political bind and was pushing for a Tamil candidate at the INDIA bloc alliance partners meeting held Monday evening.
According to sources, the party had suggested DMK’s Rajya Sabha member Trichy Siva, while Congress’ Manickam Tagore’s name was also on the cards. At the meeting, according to sources, when RJD and TMC stressed for a candidate from a non-political background, the DMK suggested scientist Myilswamy Annadurai.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai slammed the BJP for holding funds for Tamil Nadu while playing a “Tamil card”.
“BJP is playing the Tamil card only because elections are nearing and they have nothing much to say about the welfare works they have done for Tamil Nadu. They have withheld our education funds, they have not released Keezhadi excavation report and still portray as if they are concerned about Tamils,” Selvaperunthagai told ThePrint.
This is not the first time the DMK is going against a Tamil candidate nominated by the opposite camp. In 1987, when DMK was not in alliance with the Congress, R. Venkataraman was nominated as the candidate for the presidential polls. However, DMK did not support his candidature.
Then chief minister and AIADMK leader M.G. Ramachandran had criticised the DMK for not supporting a Tamilian in the presidential election. Responding to it, the then DMK president and former chief minister M. Karunanidhi had said it would be worthwhile to see what the person had done for Tamils, instead of looking at whether he was a Tamilian or not.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: CP Radhakrishnan vs who? Why DMK’s pushing INDIA bloc for a Tamil vs Tamil contest for India’s V-P
