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AIADMK trapped in BJP’s hands, says Muslim face Anwhar Raajhaa after joining DMK
A Anwhar Raajhaa met Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, minutes after he was expelled from AIADMK by Edappadi Palaniswami
All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (IADMK) organising secretary and the party’s Muslim face, A Anwhar Raajhaa, joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Monday, shortly after he was expelled by AIADMK for criticising its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
A former AIADMK member of Parliament (MP) and a former minister, Raajhaa met Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, minutes after he was expelled from AIADMK by its general secretary and leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS).
“It’s not an alliance, AIADMK is trapped in BJP’s hands,” Raajhaa told reporters outside the DMK office.
“The home minister (Amit Shah) has said thrice that there will be a coalition government in Tamil Nadu. Not once has he said that EPS will be the chief minister. He has not mentioned EPS’ name at all,” Raajhaa said. “Just like how Trump kept saying that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan, EPS is claiming that he is the chief ministerial candidate…BJP’s agenda is to break the AIADMK and become the principal opposition to the DMK,” he said referring to similar political manoeuvres in West Bengal, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
His criticism comes after EPS on Saturday asserted that AIADMK would win the 2026 assembly polls with a majority and form the government independently.
“Stalin is also saying that the AIADMK will form a coalition government with BJP. Mr. Stalin, we are not fools. AIADMK will win with a majority and form the government independently. We will decide if we want an alliance or not. We are not desperate like you, who is a dynastic politician. We will do what the people want. And the people want the DMK out. We want such like-minded parties to join us. The BJP considers the DMK a corrupt party and wants to defeat them. That’s why the BJP has joined us and more parties will join us and we will defeat you,” EPS said on Saturday.
AIADMK and BJP had come together this April after a 19 month bitter separation.
This is the second time Raajhaa has been expelled from the AIADMK. He was expelled in 2021 for favouring the expelled leader V K Sasikala’s re-entry into the AIADMK. He was brought back in 2023 after the AIADMK walked out of the alliance with the BJP, blaming the BJP state chief K Annamalai for insulting its leaders. On April 11, Shah announced that AIADMK and BJP will fight the 2026 elections together and replaced Annamalai with Nainar Nagendran.
Raajhaa was elected as an MP and MLA from Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district, which has a sizable Muslim and Christian population. He served as the minister for labour in J Jayalalithaa’s cabinet between 2001 and 2006.
