Mar 27 2015 : The Times of India (Chennai)
Aggressive Hindutva on cards in TN?
CDS Mani
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Chennai
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Amit Shah Works To Consolidate Hindu Vote On Caste Lines For Next Elections
BJP
in Tamil Nadu is stepping up its drive towards a more aggressive brand
of Hindutva before the assembly elections next year as part of a
carefully crafted poll strategy by the party's national president Amit
Shah to consolidate the Hindu vote across caste lines.“Unlike UP,
Shah cannot polarize Hindu and Muslim votes in Tamil Nadu and so he
wants to bridge caste divisions within Hindus by appealing to their
Hindu heritage, leveraging the influence of his NDA allies in the state
like DMDK, PMK, IJK and smaller parties,“ said a Hin dutva ideologue not
wishing to be named.
BJP's front organisations have aggressively organised `ghar wapsi' programmes in the state, the biggest one being organised in Pollachi on March 2 by the Hindu Munnani at which 55 people were welcomed back to the Hindu fold from Islam and Christianity .
Shah also chaired a meeting of the state BJP in Coimbatore three days later, ostensibly to re view the party's membership drive although the sub-text was not lost on political observers.
BJP national executive member and former state party chief L Ganesan, however, rubbishes all talk of a hidden agenda saying, “Conversions and re-conversions have been happening in Tamil Nadu over the past many decades and are not a recent development after the Modi government assumed charge at the Centre“.
The latest indication of BJP toeing the Hindutva line has come with the appointment of RSS pracharak Keshava Vinayak as joint organising secretary to assist organising secreta ry S Mohanrajulu, who is perceived to be found wanting in efforts to work with various Hin du outfits to push the Hindutva agenda. Vinayak is tipped to suc ceed Mohanrajulu, himself an RSS product, to satisfy the hawks in the party .
Significantly, the state BJP core committee had a long meet ing with Shah in Delhi on Wednesday ahead of the party's office-bearers and national exec utive meet scheduled in Benga luru from April 2 at which the strategy for approaching as sembly elections in Bihar later this year and TN and West Ben gal next year would be chalked out.
BJP's front organisations have aggressively organised `ghar wapsi' programmes in the state, the biggest one being organised in Pollachi on March 2 by the Hindu Munnani at which 55 people were welcomed back to the Hindu fold from Islam and Christianity .
Shah also chaired a meeting of the state BJP in Coimbatore three days later, ostensibly to re view the party's membership drive although the sub-text was not lost on political observers.
BJP national executive member and former state party chief L Ganesan, however, rubbishes all talk of a hidden agenda saying, “Conversions and re-conversions have been happening in Tamil Nadu over the past many decades and are not a recent development after the Modi government assumed charge at the Centre“.
The latest indication of BJP toeing the Hindutva line has come with the appointment of RSS pracharak Keshava Vinayak as joint organising secretary to assist organising secreta ry S Mohanrajulu, who is perceived to be found wanting in efforts to work with various Hin du outfits to push the Hindutva agenda. Vinayak is tipped to suc ceed Mohanrajulu, himself an RSS product, to satisfy the hawks in the party .
Significantly, the state BJP core committee had a long meet ing with Shah in Delhi on Wednesday ahead of the party's office-bearers and national exec utive meet scheduled in Benga luru from April 2 at which the strategy for approaching as sembly elections in Bihar later this year and TN and West Ben gal next year would be chalked out.
