The AIADMK, already infuriated by the disparaging remarks made by Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai about Jayalalithaa, has issued an ultimatum to the party, indicating a potential breakup.
Chennai: The BJP’s recent loss in Karnataka may soon be compounded by a rift with its sole ally in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK. The regional party, already angered by the contentious comments made by the state BJP chief, K Annamalai, has given the BJP an ultimatum: “Control him, or face the consequences.”
Annamalai, who frequently targets both the DMK and AIADMK, made a comment that the AIADMK finds difficult to ignore. In an interview with an English daily, he indirectly hinted that AIADMK icon and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was convicted in a disproportionate assets case.
Although Jayalalithaa’s aide VK Sasikala and a few others were eventually convicted by the Supreme Court in the disproportionate assets case, with Jayalalithaa as the primary accused, the former Chief Minister passed away before the final verdict. Thus, while the Supreme Court’s decision nullified the favorable verdict by the Karnataka High Court, Jayalalithaa was not technically convicted.
These remarks have deeply angered the AIADMK, which has threatened to reconsider its alliance with the BJP unless action is taken against Annamalai. Senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar stated, “Annamalai is unfit to be the state president of a party. He should be cautious with his words. We suspect that he neither wants the alliance to continue nor wants Prime Minister Modi to win again.”
The actions of the state BJP chief have raised doubts within the AIADMK camp as to whether the former IPS officer is acting as a mouthpiece for the central leadership of the BJP. In March, he spoke against forming an alliance with the AIADMK for the 2024 elections, which angered senior AIADMK leaders who had formed the alliance with the BJP after Jayalalithaa’s demise. Jayalalithaa had refrained from allying with the BJP for a long time, despite their friendly ties, considering the northern party incompatible with Dravidian politics.
Now, with the alliance in place, the BJP, which had minimal presence in the state, is attempting to position itself as the primary opposition party by capitalizing on the power struggle between AIADMK leaders O Panneerselvam and Edappadi Palanisami, both of whom had consented to the alliance.
The AIADMK has suffered consecutive defeats in elections it contested with the BJP, including Lok Sabha polls, assembly polls, and local body polls. Furthermore, in the recent Erode East by-poll, where the AIADMK did not campaign alongside the BJP, the former experienced yet another loss.
Speculations arose within the AIADMK camp after BJP chief strategist Amit Shah reportedly set a target of winning 25 parliamentary seats in the state during an internal meeting on Sunday, leading to suspicions that the national party intends to contest 25 out of Tamil Nadu’s 39 seats.
Author: IBC Global Times
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