Several factors led to BJP's rout in Assembly poll: L Ganesan

Chennai: The BJP, which is yet to come to terms with its total rout in the just concluded Assembly poll, will assess the reasons that led to its defeat, particularly why the electorate voted massively between the two Dravidian majors.

“There are several factors that had influenced the voters. We need to assess these. I can say one thing for sure, that the BJP did not have adequate time to take up electioneering comfortably. Our poll work got delayed because of other parties that dilly-dallied on alliance. Finally we had to announce our decision to go alone (with smaller parties),” BJP senior and party’s national executive member L. Ganesan says. The party had expected something more this time but the “unbridled cash flow to voters” could have also ruined its prospects, another senior leader pointed out.

Mr Ganesan claimed that both the PMK and DMDK had displayed their “obsession” more than their political ambition, leading to multi-corner contest.

“This caused the polarisation of votes between AIADMK and DMK. Those who didn’t want the AIADMK to return to power voted for the DMK while those against the latter had voted largely to ensure the AIADMK was given a successive term in office,” Mr Ganesan interpreted and hastily added that the factors which led to his party’s defeat at the hustings need to be assessed.

Only in Kanyakumari district — the home constituency of Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan, the BJP candidates: Pon Vijayaragavan (Killiyoor constituency) and C. Dharmaraj (Vilavancode) trailed behind the Congress while M.R. Gandhi (Nagercoil) finished second after DMK. Mr Radhakrishnan exuded confidence that his party would win laurels in the next local bodies and Lok Sabha polls.