The Indu Makkal Katchi (IMK) on Friday (November 27) announced that it will be contesting in all the 234 constituencies for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections scheduled to happen in May 2021.
IMK to contest in all 234 Constituencies of TN. pic.twitter.com/SJcC4cKRvS
— Indu Makkal Katchi – இந்து மக்கள் கட்சி ( Off ) (@Indumakalktchi) November 27, 2020
The IMK’s move comes in the wake of the alliance between the BJP and the AIADMK getting sealed.
Speaking to The Commune, IMK founder leader Arjun Sampath said that IMK wishes to be a credible alternative to the Dravidian parties which have been alternatively ruling the state for the past 5 decades adding that time has now come for nationalistic and ‘divine’ politics in the state. “The values of nationalism and divinity has been on the wane after 1967, when the DMK came to power. The politics of IMK will revive both these values among the Tamil masses”, Mr. Arjun Sampath said.
When asked about how different is IMK’s politics from the ‘spiritual politics’ espoused by Rajinikanth and the politics of BJP, Mr. Arjun Sampath distinguishing between ‘spiritual’ and ‘divine’ politics said that IMK is a party that stands for the latter.
He said “We are not doing spiritual politics. We are a Hindu party trying to save the Hindu divinity that is under attack from all sides. We are here to protect the interest of Hindus by representing them in the political arena. ”
“We welcomed Rajinikanth when he announced that he wished to change the system through spiritual politics. But he is yet to launch the party. He has said that he will be taking a decision by January. We will have to wait for that”, he added.
With respect to the BJP in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Arjun Sampath said it was a nationalist party but not a Hindu party as it has a separate ‘minority wing’.
“In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections we extended our support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi belonging to the BJP. This is the Assembly elections. All the parties are accommodating and giving representation to Muslims and Christians. I am not talking about giving seats to Muslims or Christians present in their party. The Dravidian parties accommodate even Muslim fundamentalist organizations like Tamil Maanila Muslim League, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi. But they don’t accommodate Hindu organizations.”, he said.
Mr. Sampath added that both Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the AIADMK leadership have fixed DMK as their mutual enemy and have entered into alliance to keep them at bay. “We are here to represent the interest of Hindus. If Rajinikanth flouts the party, we will extend our support to him and work towards making him win in the elections. In case if he doesn’t come, we will go alone in all 234 constituencies as the face of ‘divine’ politics”.
When asked if not his move to field candidates in all 234 constituencies split the Hindu votes thereby giving advantage to the DMK, he opined that it was not to split but to consolidate Hindu votes that they wish to go alone in the polls. “There needs to be a party that is vocal about Hindu rights and issues. Who else other than IMK is there in Tamil Nadu to do that?”, he said.
However, he added that they would work with the BJP or AIADMK if they recognize IMK and accommodate the party into the NDA alliance. “As far as we are concerned, we need Hindu interests to be represented. If no party is ready to that, we will go alone come what may!”, Mr. Arjun Sampath concluded.