Tamil Nadu missed out on Central government schemes because DMK saw BJP as an enemy, says G.K. Vasan

In 2016, you refused to articulation the AIADMK confederation due to the fact that its person Jayalalithaa asked TMC (M) candidates to contention connected the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol. But successful 2021, you contested connected ‘Two Leaves’. Now, what prompted you tract your party’s 5 candidates connected the BJP’s ‘Lotus’ symbol?

TMC (M) was revived successful 2014, and 2016 was our archetypal Assembly election. We joined the 3rd beforehand [People’s Welfare Front]. We wanted to contention connected Moopanar’s ‘Cycle’ symbol. Unfortunately, I was not capable to get the ‘Cycle’ awesome successful 2016 due to the fact that determination was an Election Commission lawsuit from the Panthers Party of Kashmir. So, we were forced to get a caller symbol. Since we are a enactment that champions farmers’ rights, we chose ‘Coconut Grove’. Unfortunately, the full beforehand was not capable to triumph successful 2016. The adjacent predetermination was the 2019 Lok Sabha election, and we were portion of the NDA led by the AIADMK. Even then, we did not get the awesome and contested connected ‘Auto’ successful 1 Lok Sabha seat. In 2021, we wanted 12 seats, but we got lone six. Even though determination was nary Election Commission lawsuit then, we took a argumentation determination that if we did not get a minimum of 12 seats, we would contention connected the awesome of the enactment with which we are successful nonstop alliance—the AIADMK. So, we contested connected ‘Two Leaves’. In 2024 [parliamentary polls], we joined the BJP-led NDA, got 3 seats, and contested connected our ain ‘Cycle’ symbol. Now, again successful 2026, determination is simply a occupation successful getting our symbol. Since we are successful nonstop confederation with the BJP, we person decided to contention connected ‘Lotus’. If I bash not instrumentality the ‘Lotus’ awesome this clip and person to spell for my ain symbol, I would get either ‘Chair’, ‘Table’, ‘Cricket Ball’, oregon ‘Hockey Stick’, which we cannot instrumentality to the voters successful a abbreviated time.

If your candidates get elected connected the ‘Lotus’ symbol, they technically go members of the BJP. Wouldn’t this impair the TMC (M)’s maturation and semipermanent prospects of getting ECI recognition?

That is not the method point. They are members of the TMC (M) party, and they are our MLAs. When determination is simply a whip [by the BJP], it has to beryllium followed. It is not a caller regularisation for TMC (M) alone. Throughout the country, it is the regularisation for each parties that take to contention connected the awesome of different party, arsenic per the Election Commission norms.

The question was not lone successful the discourse of voting successful the Assembly. In general, representing your enactment successful the Assembly, portion contesting connected different party’s symbol, won’t that marque a difference?

There is thing to hide. We are ever comfy with our ain symbol. When my enactment is incapable to get it arsenic per the Election Commission rules, I person to triumph the predetermination and amusement my strength. I person to determination to the contiguous adjacent option. I did not spell to immoderate enactment with which I americium not successful alliance. I americium successful adjacent way with the BJP. I person supported them successful each the Bills successful Delhi [parliament]. I americium a assured state of the BJP successful Tamil Nadu. I person been going with them without immoderate interruption implicit these 7 oregon 8 years. I consciousness ‘Two Leaves’ and ‘Lotus’ are treble engines successful Tamil Nadu.

Your enactment candidates volition look disconnected with 2 sitting Ministers and the lad of a Minister successful different seat. Why were you fixed tougher constituencies than your different allies?

I spot it the different way. Today, I spot the governmental concern with the DMK and the radical differently. Anti-incumbency is astatine its peak. More than a mean DMK candidate, ministers person higher anti-incumbency. The choler against them is adjacent greater. That is due to the fact that of their corruption and implicit usage of power. Even successful their ain ministries, they person not performed properly. They person not addressed the instrumentality and bid problems successful their ain areas. In the sanction of development, they person swindled money. All this is going to assistance my candidates against the ministers. We are going to combat it out. We person our ain strategy to triumph that way.

The DMK beforehand is framing this predetermination arsenic Tamil Nadu vs New Delhi. What’s your view?

Absolutely wrong. This is an predetermination for the information of the radical of Tamil Nadu, particularly women. Development of Tamil Nadu successful each ways by some the State authorities and the Central authorities should beryllium the core. The DMK has been one-sided. When it comes to development, they deliberation their improvement is final. They don’t privation immoderate improvement from the Centre due to the fact that of ballot slope politics. It should beryllium a double-engine sarkar (government). The Central and State governments should enactment together, manus successful hand. People should payment from towns to villages.

If you transportation it that way, won’t that rise the statement that a enactment opposed to the enactment successful powerfulness astatine the Centre should not travel to powerfulness successful the States?

Not astatine all. Because, arsenic acold arsenic the Tamil Nadu authorities is concerned, they did not spot the BJP arsenic an absorption party; they saw it arsenic an force enactment due to the fact that of ballot slope politics. That is simply a incorrect precedent they followed. They missed a batch of Central authorities schemes here. People are aggravated with them. People privation a change. This benignant of cognition for a ruler volition ne'er make Tamil Nadu. They deliberation lone their sticker should beryllium determination and that the Central government’s sticker should not beryllium here. That is wrong. Sound volition travel lone if we clap some hands. Their cognition is wholly wrong. Forget astir different States. The radical of Tamil Nadu are precise clear.

Even aft separating from the Congress and floating the TMC successful 1996, your begetter G.K. Moopanar was steadfast successful his absorption to the BJP. But since you revived the party, you person been amicable with the BJP, travelling with them for a agelong time. Why is determination a quality successful attack betwixt your begetter and you towards the BJP?

My begetter died 25 years ago. In these 25 years, a batch of dynamics successful authorities has changed. There are 2 sides to the coin successful Indian authorities aft Independence. One tin beryllium represented by [Jawaharlal] Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi. The different broadside is now, aft [Atal Bihari] Vajpayee’s stint, it is Narendra Modi’s era. The radical of India judge successful the BJP authorities nether Modi’s leadership. That is why, solidly, for the 3rd time, a [central] authorities is coming to powerfulness successful this technological era. Nobody tin fool anyone into getting votes. In astir 90% of the States, radical person rejected the Congress party. Therefore, successful the involvement of the nation, I deliberation I americium connected the close track.

You accidental TMC (M) is connected the close track. However, betwixt 1996 and 2002, the TMC, successful its archetypal avatar, had achieved sizeable electoral success. But your enactment has been incapable to triumph seats. What is the reason?

An honorable person successful authorities has to judge definite things. Whether it is simply a triumph oregon not, I person to instrumentality responsibility. There is nary uncertainty astir it. Winning and losing are communal factors successful our democracy. That cannot beryllium the crushed for losing each the time. It is unfortunate that our alliances successful each these 4 elections were not successful. I americium besides portion of those unsuccessful alliances. We were not capable to get a minimum fig successful the minimal seats we got.

Do you deliberation determination volition beryllium a alteration successful this inclination successful the upcoming election?

The aforesaid enactment with which I americium successful confederation has been capable to people crossed India for the 3rd time, to which my publication is besides there. When it comes to Tamil Nadu, we are dilatory trying to measure ourselves politically and summation a winning momentum. I americium definite this predetermination volition beryllium an eye-opener for the radical of Tamil Nadu for a double-engine sarkar. I deliberation radical person present learnt good that the narration betwixt the Centre and the State is precise important. A prosperous Tamil Nadu and a beardown India is the request of the hour. We already person a almighty India nether the Prime Minister. We request a prosperous Tamil Nadu, which volition decidedly travel done the tandem moving of some the Centre and the State.

Barring the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the contention successful Tamil Nadu was mostly betwixt 2 fronts successful the past fewer elections. Now, histrion Vijay is entering the fray. How bash you spot his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s governmental entry?

As a person of a governmental party, I bash not privation to underestimate immoderate governmental enactment successful Tamil Nadu. I cognize however hard it is these days successful nationalist beingness to tally a governmental party, person a cadre base, conscionable people, physique alliances, and get votes. When the concern is similar this, caller parties similar TVK person to beryllium dealt with precise carefully. I americium precise assured that the NDA successful Tamil Nadu, nether the AIADMK leadership, is simply a winning alliance. At the aforesaid time, I bash not privation to springiness country to immoderate different enactment trying to chopped our votes to a ample grade and endanger our victory. I americium definite we are the winning beforehand and we are the archetypal front. So we woody with each parties carefully, not with overconfidence. I privation to cautiously program a strategy to unafraid the archetypal presumption and accordingly physique the voting basal for me. Let the DMK and Mr. Vijay combat for the 2nd position.

But Mr. Vijay has been repeatedly asserting that this predetermination is betwixt the TVK and the DMK, wholly ignoring the AIADMK-led alliance…

As acold arsenic we are concerned, erstwhile we consciousness we are the winning front, we request not fuss astir the 2nd and 3rd fronts’ claims. It tin beryllium betwixt Mr. Vijay and the DMK; I americium not bothered astir it. I privation to support our winning people precise clear. I americium cautious astir the different 2 oregon 3 fronts not reaching our mark. That is my thought down the predetermination strategy. If Mr. Vijay says this predetermination is betwixt the TVK and the DMK, it is his claim. I americium not disquieted astir it. Mr. Stalin’s strategy whitethorn beryllium Delhi vs Tamil Nadu. My strategy is that the AIADMK-led NDA is the archetypal front.

Your tenure arsenic a Rajya Sabha subordinate ended recently. Is determination a anticipation of different tenure?

I americium precise blessed that I person served the radical of Tamil Nadu for 3 presumption successful the Rajya Sabha. Eighteen years is not a abbreviated time. I was a Union Minister for 10 years. I person been continuously a enactment person for respective years. I americium precise blessed that, with each the capableness I had, I tried to service the radical to the champion of my quality and assistance my enactment grow. It is not the extremity of politics. I was precise peculiar not to springiness value to a Rajya Sabha seat, due to the fact that it should not beryllium the crushed for losing my numbers. Last time, due to the fact that I was fixed a Rajya Sabha ticket, I got lone six seats. Now I privation to beryllium careful. Being successful the Rajya Sabha was secondary for me. The archetypal precedence was to unafraid much seats for my party.