BJP's anti-Jaya barbs may help DMK and PWF

AIADMK's ally in Parliament, BJP in Tamil Nadu may play spoil sport for the ruling party in the state and indirectly benefit the DMK or parties in the

DMDK-PWF

front.

A high voltage campaign led by PM Narendra Modi, BJP national president Amit Shah, home minister Rajnath Singh and several ministers appealing to the people of Tamil Nadu to look beyond the AIADMK and DMK and vote for change, may result in the party improving its vote share but in all likelihood it is the DMK primarily and other parties secondarily which stand to gain, say observers.

"While BJP leaders have appealed to people not to vote either for AIADMK or DMK, public memory will be short regarding the DMK governance (2006-11) and rather sharp about the AIADMK rule," said political commentator G Satyamurthy . Union energy minister Piyush Goyal who sparked the debate on chief minister Jayalalithaa's inaccessibility and noncooperation with the Centre on various issues and direct attacks by BJP president Amit Shah, general secretary Murlidhar Rao and Union minister Prakash Javadekar in this regard, came in handy for DMK chief Karunanidhi and TNCC president EVKS Elangovan to mount attacks on her, he said.

"Inaccessiblity is a major charge which will definitely stick on Jayalalithaa as people and media know that DMK leaders Karunanidhi, Stalin and Duraimurugan have been very accessible and interactive whether in government or not," said Satyamurthy. At the same time, the sentiment against Jayalalithaa on this score is likely to turn youth towards other parties like DMDK, and other PWF constituents, including Left parties besides the PMK, he added. However, another political analyst M Kasinathan believes that the high profile BJP campaign led by PM Modi in Tamil Nadu will not dent AIADMK votes much, as his campaigns were far more aggressive in Bihar and West Bengal.

Springing to the defence of Jayalalithaa, AIADMK spokesperson C R Saraswathi retorted, "Whatever the issues are, the chief minister communicates with the Prime Minister on all the requirements for the state. During the recent floods, PM came and met the chief minister. We had asked for Rs 25,000 crore for flood relief, but we were given Rs 2,000 crore. Even in the budget, there was little for Tamil Nadu. What is the need for BJP to rake up this issue now? They (BJP) are upset that AIADMK is not joining their alliance."