Chennai: The Tamil Maanila Congress has formally joined the BJP-led Nationwide Democratic Alliance (NDA), months earlier than the final election.
Celebration chief G.Okay. Vasan mentioned Monday that the nation’s financial development and safety are the necessity of the hour, which has led to the choice.
The celebration’s alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) comes at a time when the AIADMK has snapped its ties with the Narendra Modi-led celebration and dashed probabilities for any such alliance sooner or later.
In a press assembly on the celebration headquarters Monday, Vasan mentioned, “Considering the welfare of people and our party and assessing which party would care for the welfare of our state and Tamils across the world, we have taken this decision.”
Vasan additionally mentioned he would go to the 27 February public assembly of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Palladam in Tirupur district.
Vasan is the son of celebration founder G.Okay. Moopanar, who made headlines together with his refusal to help the BJP in a 1999 belief vote within the Lok Sabha, resulting in the autumn of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led authorities for need of 1 vote.
After Vasan’s announcement, BJP Tamil Nadu chief Okay. Annamalai met Vasan.
“I thank Tamil Maanila Congress and G.K. Vasan for reinforcing his support to NDA and PM Modi. Tamil Maanila Congress was always a different political party, a regional party with nationalism at its core…G.K. Vasan has given confidence to the people of Tamil Nadu today that he foresees a future where more MPs of Tamil Nadu will be part of the NDA,” Annamalai later advised the press.
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Tamil Maanila Congress: journey thus far
Former MP G.Okay. Moopanar based the Tamil Maanila Congress in 1996 as a breakaway faction of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee.
The cut up got here after the then Congress excessive command determined to proceed with its alliance with the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK for the 1996 Lok Sabha polls regardless of variations.
In her first tenure as chief minister from 1991 to 1996, Jayalalithaa and her authorities confronted a number of corruption allegations. That had soured the connection between her and the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee.
Moopanar, an in depth affiliate of Congress chief and former Tamil Nadu CM Okay. Kamaraj, joined palms with the DMK for the 1996 state meeting and Lok Sabha polls. The Tamil Maanila Congress, as a part of the alliance, witnessed a lot success. It gained 39 of 40 seats it contested within the state meeting polls and all 20 seats it contested within the Lok Sabha polls.
Moopanar’s refusal to help the BJP within the 1999 belief vote regardless of stress from the DMK led to the collapse of the then Vajpayee-led authorities. On the time, Moopanar reportedly mentioned he was dedicated to secularism and would by no means help the BJP.
After Moopanar died in 2001, the celebration unanimously elected Vasan as its president. The Vasan-led Tamil Maanila Congress merged with the Congress in 2002. However the merger lasted solely until 2014.
Forward of the 2016 meeting polls, Vasan in a bid to reform the celebration joined the Folks’s Welfare Entrance (PWF) alliance which included events like Captain Vijayakanth’s Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Communist Celebration of India (CPI) and Communist Celebration of India (Marxist) (CPI-(M)). It failed terribly within the 2016 state meeting polls.
In 2019, the Tamil Maanila Congress joined palms with the AIADMK, which was then a part of the NDA alliance. However it misplaced the lone seat it contested within the Lok Sabha polls.
In 2020, the AIADMK nominated Vasan to the Rajya Sabha and he was elected to the Higher Home reportedly with the BJP’s backing.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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