COIMBATORE: The Bharatiya Janata Party will emerge as number one party in Tamil Nadu after the 2019 Parliamentary elections, Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon. Radhakrishnan said on Monday.

Replying to a specific question on whether CPI-M deciding not to have any tie up with Congress help NDA in the hustings, Radhakrishnan told reporters here that there was no connection between that and BJP.
“The BJP is working on its own and is capable to emerge victorious in the Lok Sabha elections and emerge as the number one party in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Unless both the the Dravidian parties were wiped out, there was no progress or development in the State, he said adding that both AIADMK and DMK had kept the important Avanashi-Athikadavu water project for the last 50 years, which could have benefited the Western Region of the State.

When asked about the relationship with ruling AIADMK, which appeared to be strained of late, Radhakrishnan said that individually he was meeting the Chief Minister, other ministers and leaders as usual and nothing more than that.

Stating that BJP was not here to prop up either AIADMK or DMK, he said that his party was capable to gain strength and fight alone and capture power in the State.

To a question on any proposal to bring down the tax on petrol, the increased price of which, was adversely affecting common man and also bring it under GST, Radhakrishnan said that the it was based on international price and the GST has to be decided by the concerned ministry.

On difference of opinion in BJP on the increase in the bus fare in Tamil Nadu, he said that there was no difference in the party, since some of the media has misquoted his statement as supporting the price hike.