The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : “BJP has not endeared itself to people”

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Tuesday, Nov 10, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

“BJP has not endeared itself to people”

T. Ramakrishnan

CHENNAI: After quitting the BJP, S. Thirunavukkarasar told The Hindu from New Delhi that the party had not endeared itself to the people. “During the Assembly elections [in 2006] and Parliamentary polls [in May this year], I tried my level best to change the situation. But, I was not successful,” he said, adding that the party was in the “clutches” of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The former Union Minister said that he had always desired to be closer to people.

As long as he was a follower of MGR, he was able to be in touch with the masses, “something which I missed after joining the BJP [in 2002].”

He had joined the BJP as he was attracted by the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was no longer in active politics. L.K. Advani too was on the verge of taking retirement from politics.

Seven years ago, Mr. Thirunavukkarasu had merged his party, MGR-ADMK, with the BJP and subsequently, he was made a Union Minister of State.

Initially, he was in charge of the Shipping portfolio and later, shifted to Communications.

When the BJP fought the 2004 Lok Sabha elections together with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Mr. Thirunavukkarasar did not contest.

In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he contested from the Ramanathapuram constituency on the BJP ticket and secured the third place by getting 1,28,322 votes.

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