Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's party DMK has rubbished a claim made by the state BJP chief
Indicating Tamil Nadu will soon follow Maharashtra in witnessing a regime change, state BJP chief K Annamalai has claimed "an Eknath Shinde will emerge in" the state, comments that were dismissed outright by the ruling party.
DMK senior leader and party's organising secretary RS Bharathi described Annamalai's comments as "insignificant" and said "the party is not taking him seriously."
Drawing an analogy between the political conditions in the two states, Annamalai said late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's eldest son, Bindumadhav's venture into films has resemblance to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's first son Mu Ka Muthu. "Both wanted to act in films but the films didn't do well," Annamalai claimed.
Similarly, Mr Thackeray's second son Jayadev is away from the family and so too is Karunanidhi's second son MK Alagiri, he stated.
His third son Uddhav Thackeray got an opportunity to become Chief Minister of Maharashtra and likewise MK Stalin became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Annamalai said while addressing a BJP protest rally in the city on Tuesday.
Uddhav Thackeray's son Aaditya has political ambitions and so does MK Stalin's son Udayanidhi.
"Both are youth wing leaders of their respective parties. Tamil Nadu is gearing up for a cabinet shuffle. An Eknath Shinde will emerge here too," the BJP president claimed, apparently referring to the Sena leader's rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray recently that led to a change of guard in Maharashtra.
Annamalai further said that two-and-a-half years ago, three parties joined hands to form a coalition in Maharashtra like the DMK formed an alliance with the Congress and left parties here. "Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress joined hands in Maharashtra and the BJP which had 105 MLAs was pushed back and Sena with 57 legislators formed the government," he said.
"Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh tortured as many BJP supporters as possible. Then Eknath Shinde came with 12 MLAs. He went to Surat. This is Rajadharma. When it has to happen, it will happen. It happened in Maharashtra and you will see it happen in Tamil Nadu, as well," Annamalai told the massive gathering.
The DMK, however, made light of the saffron party leader's comments, while underscoring that any rebellion was not possible in the ranks of the party.
"He (Annamalai) has been uttering all nonsense of late. As far as I am concerned I am not taking him seriously," Bharathi, a former MP, told Press Trust of India on Wednesday.
Another senior leader and a sitting MLA said "no chance for it happen," when asked to comment on Annamalai's statement on an Eknath Shinde emerging in TN, saying the state was comfortable with the "dynamic leadership" of chief minister and DMK President MK Stalin.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)