CHENNAI: State unit BJP president Nainar Nagenthran on Thursday hit back at Minister R Nirmalkumar over his allegations that the BJP tried to poach TVK legislators, accusing the ruling party of horse-trading and trying to divert attention from its administrative failures.

Nainar dismissed the minister’s charge that the DMK and AIADMK were attempting to destabilise the TVK government, allegedly with the BJP’s support, as baseless.

Taking a swipe at the TVK, Nainar alleged that the ruling party had disregarded the people’s mandate by enticing elected representatives of rival parties with inducements. He said it was ironic that a party accused of such practices was now alleging that others were attempting to buy its legislators. “People will dismiss these baseless allegations as a poor joke and will not fall for your attempts to divert attention,” he said in a statement.

The BJP leader further accused the minister of levelling unsubstantiated charges against opposition parties to deflect criticism of the government’s departmental handling. “However many false allegations you make, you cannot conceal your administrative incompetence or the continuing governance failures under the TVK regime,” he said.

Urging Nirmalkumar to stop blaming others, Nainar asked him to abandon horse-trading and focus on public welfare.

“Nirmalkumar, it’s a mirror,” he said, claiming it is the Vijay-led party that is poaching MLAs to ensure stability for the minority government, which is dependent on allies and outside support.

Nainar said such claims expose efforts to divert attention from administrative lapses in his departments, ranging from the controversial proposal to procure electricity at Rs 41.50 per unit to incidents of prisoners escaping from custody.