NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will ‘sweep’ in Karnataka in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections while exuding confidence in registering a victory on some seats in Kerala as well as in Tamil Nadu.
He also said that efforts are being put to form a government in Tamil Nadu in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Responding to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s claims in Parliament that BJP cannot win in southern states, Singh said, “I think he is not rightly aware of the country. We have been in power in Karnataka. That too twice. Then how are they claiming that we can’t assume power in the South? In Andhra Pradesh also, we were in alliance with TDP and they were in power. Yes, we haven’t formed a government yet in Tamil Nadu, eventually that too will happen. I’m saying this based on my ground experience, I just returned from Tamil Nadu. And I’m not very happy with the situation there, the way things have changed.”
Notably, when the BJP contested its first election in 1984, it won only two Lok Sabha seats. Interestingly, both these seats were not won by Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Lal Krishna Advani. One seat was in Gujarat’s Mehsana and the other in Andhra Pradesh’s Hanamkonda. BJP’s A K Patel had won in Mehsana, while, Chandupatia Janga Reddy won from Hanamkonda.
The Defence Minister said that the party workers will not rest till the BJP government is formed in Tamil Nadu in 2026.
“Just wait for the results, you will know. And in Kerala also we will win some seats. We will put all efforts to win all seats in Tamil Nadu this time in the Lok Sabha elections. But our fight doesn’t end there. We will continue our efforts to form government there in 2026”, the BJP leader said.
Exuding confidence that the party will make a mark in South India in the Lok Sabha polls, he said, “Not just the fine number of seats but will win a decent number of seats in South India. Will sweep it in Karnataka. Maybe here and there, it might vary but in Karnataka, will sweep.”
Crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the growth of the country and the people of the country also believe in him, he said, “The country wants to see it at this time. The countrymen want to see this. Who will take the country to the top? If we look at who is making India’s stature bigger on the global platform and who will be able to make it bigger, our eyes go to Modi ji. People are also with us”.
Responding to allegations of a North-South divide, the Defence Minister said, “There are a lot of allegations. Didn’t our Prime Minister take any steps for the development of Tamil Nadu? Didn’t he do anything there? Take the defence corridor proposals for example. Two defence corridors have been announced. From the north, Uttar Pradesh was chosen for the same, being the biggest state here and when the question of the south came, then Tamil Nadu was the choice, which is also a big state. Didn’t we build a defence corridor there? So if Hindi-Non Hindi distinction existed, then would our government take such a decision?”
“Over 100 schemes are being implemented by the central government. Whatever schemes were introduced, they are not just confined to the northern states, they are implemented in southern states also. So what is the basis of these allegations that the central government is discriminating against the southern states? They are making allegations just for the sake of it,” he added.
Singh said that the opposition who are creating controversies on Sanatan Dharma are the people who mix it with caste and politics. He said that Sanatan ‘envisions everyone’s welfare.’
“How can Sanatan be Dengue? Sanatan envisions everyone’s welfare. It isn’t something that ends. For them, whenever Sanatan comes into a debate they mix it with caste and politics. Sanatan Dharma has been here for over 1000 years,” he said.
On asked about BJP’s candidates K Annamalai and Madhavi Latha in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh respectively, engaged in ‘aggressive politics’ in the run-up to the elections, Singh said, “It is not aggressive politics it is a very balanced politics. And I will say politics should be like this. The public-related issues should be highlighted in politics. It should be highlighted in such a way that it creates pressure on the local government and they take decisions in the interest of the public.”
The Defence Minister also criticised the opposition parties for raising allegations that President Droupadi Murmu was not invited to the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony due to her caste.
“If it was about caste, then why should we propose her name for the President in the first place? I feel very bad. Because someone sitting on a constitutional post like President and we are discussing caste. We do not make decisions based on caste, those people do it. We take decisions that we feel are appropriate in the interest of the country,” Singh said. (ANI)