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BJP admits unhappiness over seat allotment in Tamil Nadu
Chennai, Feb 19: A day after the BJP-AIADMK combine completed the seat-sharing process for the coming Lok Sabha elections, BJP national secretary L Ganesan today admitted that the party was upset over the ruling party in Tamil Nadu not allotting to it the expected seats, including Pudukkottai.
Chennai, Feb 19: A day after the BJP-AIADMK combine completed the seat-sharing process for the coming Lok Sabha elections, BJP national secretary L Ganesan today admitted that the party was upset over the ruling party in Tamil Nadu not allotting to it the expected seats, including Pudukkottai.
''It's true that the BJP expected some constituencies that were identified as prospective seats by the party. It's also true that we did not get it,'' he told reporters here.
''We don't want to deny or hide anything in this regard. We expected more seats,'' he added.
Although the BJP wanted to contest in at least ten seats in the state, the AIADMK had yesterday allotted it only six in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Pondicherry, besides refusing to allocate Pudukottai, the seat held by Union minister and BJP leader S Thirunavukkarasar, to the party.
Stating that such things do occur in a coalition, Mr Ganesan said ''it's natural that the party workers are angry (over not getting the expected seats). The shock will be there for only one or two days. It will not remain forever. I am sure that I can convince the workers who are very disciplined.''
''It's good that they ventilate their feelings because their demands are genuine. I am sure they will obey the orders of the party high command and begin aggressive campaigning for the combine,'' he added. Pointing out that the party had contested five seats in the 1998 general elections, six in 1999 and seven seats now, the BJP leader said the party workers would recover from the shock and work for the victory of the BJP-AIADMK combine in all the 40 constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.
Mr Ganesan welcomed the stand of Mr Thirunavukkarasar to continue to serve the BJP and the public and said he would be the main campaigner for the party in the state.
He said the 15-member BJP election committee, headed by Mr K N Lakshmanan, would meet here tomorrow to draw the campaign strategy and identify the party candidates.
Bureau Report
''We don't want to deny or hide anything in this regard. We expected more seats,'' he added.
Although the BJP wanted to contest in at least ten seats in the state, the AIADMK had yesterday allotted it only six in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Pondicherry, besides refusing to allocate Pudukottai, the seat held by Union minister and BJP leader S Thirunavukkarasar, to the party.
Stating that such things do occur in a coalition, Mr Ganesan said ''it's natural that the party workers are angry (over not getting the expected seats). The shock will be there for only one or two days. It will not remain forever. I am sure that I can convince the workers who are very disciplined.''
''It's good that they ventilate their feelings because their demands are genuine. I am sure they will obey the orders of the party high command and begin aggressive campaigning for the combine,'' he added. Pointing out that the party had contested five seats in the 1998 general elections, six in 1999 and seven seats now, the BJP leader said the party workers would recover from the shock and work for the victory of the BJP-AIADMK combine in all the 40 constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.
Mr Ganesan welcomed the stand of Mr Thirunavukkarasar to continue to serve the BJP and the public and said he would be the main campaigner for the party in the state.
He said the 15-member BJP election committee, headed by Mr K N Lakshmanan, would meet here tomorrow to draw the campaign strategy and identify the party candidates.
Bureau Report