Some DMK allies are in touch with us, claims BJP's Nainar Nagenthiran
BJP State president Nainar Nagenthiran has stirred a political storm by claiming that a few electoral allies of the ruling DMK are in touch with his party as these parties are eager to be with the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance in Tamil Nadu.
'Even though we have lot of time for the election, talks are going on with a few political parties now with the DMK. Some of these parties will come to the NDA fold,' Mr. Nagenthiran told reporters here on Wednesday.
When asked to name the political parties that are in touch with the BJP, he said the chances of new parties joining the NDA after ditching the DMK was bright even though he could not say anything concrete at this moment.
He asserted that the DMK and the alliance it had stitched with other political parties was 'fragile'.
'If the DMK is strong as being projected, let the party contest the upcoming Assembly on its own. Since the NDA in Tamil Nadu is strong, our alliance partner AIADMK-led rule will be in place in the State after the next Assembly polls,' Mr. Nagenthiran said.
When he said the Centre had given over ₹10 lakh crore to Tamil Nadu in the past 11 years apart from the State's GST share from the Union Government, Mr. Nagenthiran was asked to give the breakup about the Centre-funded projects in the State, he said: 'I'll give you the details later'.
When asked about the carbon dating researches done by a US university on ancient Tamil civilization and the Centre's inexplicable hesitation in giving due recognition to Keeladi excavations, the BJP president said he would visit the site soon and recommend to the Centre based on his findings.
'Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP are holding Tamil and Tamils in high esteem by propagating its ancientness and culture across the globe,' he said.
On the Madras High Court's direction to the Centre to release funds to Tamil Nadu under the Right to Education programme, Mr. Nagenthiran wanted to know why Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, who was claiming of managing the fiscal gaps with the State's own resources, was not giving funds for RTE if he was really worried about the education of poor rural students instead of waiting for Central funds.
Listing 'achievements' of the Narendra Modi-led Union Government in the past 11 years, Mr. Nagenthiran said the BJP government was according highest priority to the nation's security while building the social, agricultural and health infrastructure in a big way in the country.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
10 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri accuses AAP of isolating Punjab from national development
Union minister of petroleum and natural gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of isolating the state from national development by failing to implement key central schemes. Puri, who was in Ludhiana to campaign for Bharatiya Janata Party's Ludhiana West bypoll candidate Jiwan Gupta, cited Ayushman Bharat scheme as a 'glaring example of how people of Punjab were being denied basic benefits available in other states'. 'States that cooperate with the Centre's policies are witnessing robust development. Sadly, Punjab is not among them,' he said. Puri also raised concerns on Punjab's law and order situation, and termed the Bhagwant Mann government's war on drugs as a 'hoax'. Speaking about India's economic journey under the Modi government, Puri said, 'In 2014, India was the 10th largest economy at 2 trillion dollars. Today, with a 4.3 trillion dollar economy, India has surpassed the UK and Japan to become the fourth largest economy in the world. We are poised to overtake Germany by next year and become the third largest economy by 2026.' Citing World Bank projections, he said that with a growth rate of 6.5%, India stands out among global economies, significantly ahead of nations like the UK, Germany, and Japan, each of which is growing at just around 2%. 'The world is watching India with great interest. But Punjab's isolation from this national growth trajectory is unfortunate,' Puri remarked. Cheema hits back Meanwhile, Punjab finance minister Harpal Cheema hit back, stating that the BJP government had plunged India into a debt spiral. He said that when the BJP assumed power in 2014, the nation's debt stood at approximately ₹55 lakh crore, which has since ballooned to ₹215 lakh crore. On Puri's allegations about Punjab not implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme, he said the central scheme is riddled with many problems that prevent many from receiving its benefits. On the contrary, Cheema said, AAP's Mohalla Clinics had provided treatment to millions of poor families without any restriction. He also questioned Puri about the BJP's 'unfulfilled promises' of depositing ₹15 lakh into the account of every Indian citizen and creating two crore jobs annually, among others.
New Indian Express
33 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Won't allow Tamil Nadu to be ruled from Delhi: CM Stalin
COIMBATORE: 'Tamils have self-respect and we will never allow Tamil Nadu to be ruled from Delhi,' said Chief Minister MK Stalin during a government programme in Salem on Thursday. The chief minister released water from the Mettur Dam for irrigation in delta districts, and announced an increase in the procurement price of paddy to Rs 2,500 per quintal. 'Farmers will now get Rs 2,500 per quintal. Accordingly, the procurement price of paddy will be increased to Rs 131 for the normal variety and Rs 156 for the short variety. The normal variety will be purchased at Rs 2,500 and the short variety at Rs 2,545.' Taking a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah's speech in Madurai, Stalin said, 'Some people cannot bear the functioning of the Dravidian model of governance. A few days ago, Amit Shah came to Madurai. He criticised the DMK government saying we only make announcements and do nothing. He claimed that the DMK government is reversing the schemes provided by the BJP-led government at the centre. The truth is that the state government is providing additional funds because these schemes cannot be implemented using the funds allocated by the union government. The state government is allocating over 50% of the funds for schemes that bear Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name.' Referring to a scene from the Rajinikanth-starrer film Padayappa, he said, 'There is a dialogue — he is the groom, but the shirt he is wearing is mine. Similarly, the schemes may be launched by the union government, but we are providing the funds.'
New Indian Express
33 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
CM Stalin to hold one-on-one with DMK functionaries from June 13
CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin will begin one-on-one interactions with party functionaries from each Assembly constituency at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai from Friday as part of preparations for the 2026 Assembly election. The initiative has been named 'Udanpirappe Vaa'.At the DMK's general council meeting held in Madurai on June 1, Stalin had announced that he would personally meet functionaries from all ranks across the 234 constituencies in the state. Accordingly, he is scheduled to interact with functionaries from Villupuram, Chidambaram and Usilampatti on Friday. Functionaries from the district level down to union and town secretary levels have been invited. The meetings will begin at 10 am and continue until the afternoon. According to sources, Stalin is expected to listen to the grievances and views of party cadre to gain a deeper understanding of local dynamics, both within the party and in their constituencies. The interactions will also give him feedback on the performance of local MLAs and ministers. These meetings will offer Stalin an early indication of potential candidates for the 2026 elections, sources said. During the interactions, Stalin will emphasise on strengthening the party's grassroots presence by pushing the membership drive, with a target of enrolling 30% of the electorate in each booth as DMK members, sources added. 'If these interactions are held in the presence of district secretaries, many may not feel comfortable expressing their thoughts freely. Even if it is just for a minute, the CM should hold individual meetings with each functionary. Only then will he get a true picture of the ground realities,' a functionary from Cuddalore told TNIE. He also warned that some district secretaries might brief or influence the cadre ahead of the meeting, discouraging them from raising contentious issues or voicing complaints.
