Everyone will have to come together to defeat DMK

THE MOOD WITHIN the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit shifted palpably after Nainar Nagendran took charge as state party president on April 12.

- LAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAN

Under his leadership, a fresh team is working closely with the AIADMK.

A veteran from southern Tamil Nadu, Nagendran is a former AIADMK leader who twice served as minister under J. Jayalalithaa. He is not as suave and articulate as his predecessor K. Annamalai, but his administrative experience and long track record of winning elections give him a quiet authority.

In an exclusive interview, Nagendran spoke to THE WEEK about his plans for the BJP in Tamil Nadu. Edited excerpts:

Q What are the challenges before you and the BJP?

A As the ruling party, the DMK will use its money and muscle power in the upcoming elections. We have to face that first. That is in fact the only challenge we have before us.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has found huge acceptance in Tamil Nadu since the day Union Home Minister Amit Shah came to Chennai and renewed the [BJP-AI-ADMK] alliance. The DMK alliance has been jittery since then.

Q The day you took charge as president, you said Annamalai was a storm and you were a breeze. Under Annamalai, the BJP turned into a significant force in Tamil Nadu in the past four years. There are great expectations from the party at this juncture. How do you plan to fulfil them?

A As you said, Annamalai's performance in the past four years cannot be ignored. And before him, there was Tamilisai Soundararajan, who said, “Lotus will definitely bloom”, and travelled the length and breath of Tamil Nadu. There was also the tenure of Union minister L. Murugan, whose Vel Yatra took the party to new heights. As party presidents, C.P. Radhakrishnan and Pon Radhakrishnan, too, held yatras for the BJP’s growth.