Party yet to decide on PM candidate for 2024 LS polls: Subramanian Swamy

CHENNAI: Senior BJP leader and former minister Subramanian Swamy on Friday said the party leadership is yet to decide on the Prime Minister candidate for the Lok Sabha polls in the 2024.

“Till now, the party leadership has not arrived at a decision to field him (Narendra Modi) as the PM candidate. So, it is premature to talk about it,” Swamy told media persons at Chennai Airport while responding to a question whether Modi would be fielded for the third consecutive time for the PM post on behalf of the party.

Raining vitriol on the Tamil Nadu unit of the party, the former minister said the party has been relying on the Dravidian majors for their electoral prospects. Instead of riding piggyback on the AIADMK or the DMK when election comes, it should contest alone and field candidates in all the constituencies in the State to aid the party to grow.

The party did nothing regarding the Erode East Constituency bypoll, he said, adding, “If I express my views, people will say that I am interfering in the state party affairs. I am a BJPian and I am part of the national team. When compared to other state units, the party’s Tamil Nadu is not vibrant. Sitting in Delhi and issuing press statements will not help the party to grow here.”

Criticising the DMK government, he said the party did not have political ideology. “Its sole aim was sectarianism and it came into existence to divide the nation. It speaks differently during elections. Now it indulges in corruption,” he said.

Recalling his efforts to dismiss the DMK government two decades ago, he cautioned that he would not remain idle if the state government behaves ruthlessly in temple issues. He also ridiculed MNM leader Kamal Haasan’s participation in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and said it would not do any good for the Congress party.