Hinting that the party’s manifesto for Tamil Nadu Assembly elections may include the lifting of ban on toddy tapping, BJP General Secretary Muralidhar Rao alleged that the DMK and AIADMK Governments were in real terms run by distilleries.

“There has been a deep nexus between distilleries, TASMAC shops and politics for the last few years in Tamil Nadu,” Rao told reporters here.

“Considering this the party will caution the Election Commission to be vary about the kind of money coming from distilleries,” Rao said.

When asked whether BJP, which supported total prohibition, would lift the two-decade ban on toddy, he said the party did not equate toddy with TASMAC liquor, Indian made foreign liquor, beer or such drinks.

When reporters stressed on the lifting of the ban, he said “I have given you enough hint that the manifesto, to be released in another 10 days, will include important issues.”

Stating that the Assembly election was going to be important, not only for the State but also for the nation, he said that corruption was going to be considered a very big issue.

BJP was the only party qualified to say that it would provide a corruption-free Government in Tamil Nadu, based on the performance of the Central Government and other BJP-ruled State governments, he said.

Unfortunately, Tamil Nadu was discussed all over the country for having politicians who have been facing court cases or who have been in and out of jails at its helm of affairs, he said.