T.N. Assembly election: Vijay has no understanding of T.N. politics, says Piyush Goyal

Piyush Goyal criticizes Vijay's political understanding, asserting Tamil Nadu voters prioritize experience over celebrity in elections.

BJP’s election in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday that Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C. Joseph Vijay had no understanding of the people of Tamil Nadu, their culture, and politics.

Speaking to reporters at the Chennai airport, Mr. Goyal said many film stars had come [into politics] in the past and the people of Tamil Nadu had rejected them. “MGR [M.G. Ramachandran] and Jayalalithaa ji were experienced politicians, and after many years of serving the people, they became Chief Ministers. I think he [Mr. Vijay] is living in a dream. He is very popular among his fans. But that popularity will not result in votes, as we saw in the case of Vijayakant and Kamal Haasan.”

Mr. Goyal said Mr. Vijay’s political entry was “one more effort which will probably give him a few votes.” He said he does not think the TVK would even cross three or four seats in Tamil Nadu. Highlighting DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s repeated assertion that the upcoming election is a fight between Tamil Nadu and Delhi, the Minister quipped it was evident from the fight between the DMK and the Congress.

He said the seat-sharing among the constituents of the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was smoothly worked out. “Two corrupt parties, the DMK and the Congress, joining hands and coming together is not what the people of Tamil Nadu want. The people want Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government at the Centre and Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s government in the State. Such a double-engine government will bring double welfare and double good governance to the people of Tamil Nadu,” he added.

Later, at Kamalalayam, the BJP’s headquarters in Chennai, Mr. Goyal and senior party leaders, released a “chargesheet” against the Mr. Stalin-led DMK government. He said the BJP was shocked to see the increase in the number of sexual harassment cases against women and cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act in the last five years. He also alleged that some DMK councillors and youth wing functionaries were accused of sexual assault. Yet, the DMK had not taken action against them, he said.