BJP issues challenge for Stalin heading into 2023 on something DMK hasn't done in decades

After Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by saying that the party "can never win even one seat" in the state "of its own", the saffron party's state chief K Annamalai has challenged the DMK supremo to go solo in the next elections.

BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai claimed that the DMK has never contested a single election on its own since 1967. He said that despite contesting elections in alliance, the DMK has lost many elections in the past. "Since 1967, DMK has never contested a single election on its own but with alliance partners to favour their political ambitions and convenience. Despite these, there were elections that you've poorly lost, MK Stalin," Annamalai tweeted.

The Tamil Nadu BJP chief who alleged that Stalin was dreaming of becoming the Deputy Prime Minister with the help of other Opposition parties, said, "Face the reality, MK Stalin. Your ambitions of becoming Deputy Prime Minister is long gone. Under our PM Narendra Modi, BJP will emerge victorious in 2024."

Stating that the saffron party has contested elections alone in the past, Annamalai challenged CM Stalin to contest elections without an alliance.

It is pertinent to mention that except for the 1977 Tamil Nadu assembly elections in which the DMK suffered an embarrassing defeat, the party has never contested elections alone in the state.

'BJP can never win even one seat in Tamil Nadu on their own': CM MK Stalin

In an interview with PTI, the DMK chief rejected BJP as the primary Opposition party in Tamil Nadu. "Let me state it clearly. Neither we nor the people of Tamil Nadu view BJP as the primary opposition party in Tamil Nadu," CM Stalin said.

"It got four MLAs in the 2001 State Assembly elections by riding on the shoulders of DMK. After two decades, riding on the back of AIADMK, they got four MLAs again in 2021. This is the reality of BJP's strength as far as Tamil Nadu is concerned. They can never win even one seat in Tamil Nadu on their own," the DMK chief said. Notably, CM Stalin's remark came after Annamalai made a huge statement at a rally, saying BJP will win 25 seats in Tamil Nadu in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 

It is pertinent to mention that currently, in the 234 seats of the Tamil Nadu assembly, the DMK has 125 seats, AIADMK (65), Congress (18), PMK (5) and BJP (4). While in the 2019 general elections, the alliance of DMK registered a landslide victory by winning 38 seats out of 39.

(With inputs from PTI)