Senior AIADMK leader KP Munusamy has thrown down the gauntlet to the BJP, challenging them to nominate Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and S Jaishankar as candidates from Tamil Nadu constituencies in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Expressing doubts about the BJP's claimed surge in popularity within Tamil Nadu, Munusamy emphasized that if the party truly believes in its increased support base in the state, it should field Sitharaman and Jaishankar, both hailing from Tamil Nadu, in any Lok Sabha constituency their.
During his address, Munusamy directly addressed the Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging them to consider the challenge seriously. He highlighted the Tamil origin of both ministers and urged the BJP to demonstrate their confidence in Tamil Nadu's support by nominating them for the upcoming polls.
Munusamy cautioned that should the BJP accept the challenge and field Sitharaman and Jaishankar, the people of Tamil Nadu would deliver a resounding response, indicative of their displeasure with the BJP's policies in the Dravidian heartland.
These remarks by the AIADMK leader coincide with the BJP's purported deliberations on fielding Union ministers, including Sitharaman, who are currently Rajya Sabha MPs, in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Speculation had been rife regarding Sitharaman's potential candidacy in one of the southern states, including Tamil Nadu.
Munusamy also questioned the BJP's decision to appoint L Murugan as a Rajya Sabha MP instead of fielding him in Lok Sabha elections despite purported groundwork done for him. This move, according to Munusamy, underscores the BJP's awareness of Murugan's limited electoral prospects, raising doubts about the party's sincerity.
The AIADMK's decision to sever ties with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in September of the previous year following a dispute over Annamalai's remarks regarding AIADMK stalwarts CN Annadurai and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa further contextualizes Munusamy's challenge to the BJP.
