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Annamalai forcing us to reconsider ties with BJP: AIADMK
The AIADMK hit back at Annamalai’s reference in an interview to former chief minister and AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa. the party said on Monday that the Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president K Annamalai is forcing them to “reconsider the alliance” with the saffron party even though it has “good relation” with the Central leadership.
Chennai: The AIADMK on Monday said Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president K Annamalai is forcing them to “reconsider the alliance” with the saffron party even though it has “good relation” with the Central leadership after Annamalai said that former chief ministers were involved in corruption and some of them were even convicted, putting the alliance between the two parties in a dock again.
“Annamalai is forcing us to reconsider the alliance even though the central leadership (of BJP) has a good relationship with us,” said AIADMK spokesperson D Jayakumar in Chennai. “Instead of criticising the common and permanent enemy, DMK, Annamalai has criticised our leader who has passed away…Annamalai has made every AIADMK cadre furious today.” Jayakumar also insinuated that Annamalai’s actions show that he doesn’t want the alliance to continue and raises a doubt if he doesn’t want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to win a third term.
The AIADMK was reacting to Annamalai’s interview to an English daily published on Monday where he did not name a party or a leader but said that Tamil Nadu is one of the most corrupt states where “former chief ministers” have been convicted. After Jayalalithaa’s death in December 2016, the Supreme Court in 2017 restored the Bengaluru trial court judgement in toto which found Jayalalithaa among others guilty in the disproportionate assets case when she was chief ministerial during 1991-1996.
“When the AIADMK is upholding the alliance dharma and Annamalai is going against it, the alliance becomes questionable so Amit Shah and Nadda have to answer,” said Jayakumar. “The loss is not ours. Delhi also knows that.” Former state BJP leaders such as Pon Radhakrishnan, Tamilisai Soundararjan and L Murugan had abided by the alliance dharma, he said and added that the AIADMK has a smooth relationship with Shah, Nadda and Modi.
“But from the time Annamalai took charge three years ago, he only wanted to promote himself. AIADMK will never tolerate an alliance partner criticising our Amma,” Jayakumar said. “Annamalai’s actions appear like he doesn’t want the alliance between the BJP and AIADMK to continue and at the same time he doesn’t want Narendra Modi to become Prime Minister again. Annamalai’s intention is that the BJP-AIADMK alliance shouldn’t win parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu so that Modi doesn’t become Prime Minister.” Simultaneously, in Salem chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin on Monday raised a question if Shah is angry with Modi over wanting a Prime Minister of Tamil origin.
The relationship between Annamalai and the AIADMK-led by general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) has been strained in the last few months. It was supposedly sorted during a meeting in Delhi on April 26 when Shah and Nadda held a discussion with EPS, Jayakumar and three other leaders from the AIADMK and Annamalai.
The following day, EPS held a press conference in the national capital to state that they have no problems with Annamalai. The “truce” came after Annamalai on April 14 had released the first part of ‘DMK Files’ and asserted that he will expose corruption of all political parties that have ruled the state so far which indirectly meant AIADMK too. On April 15, EPS told reporters not to ask him questions related to Annamalai and chided him for promoting himself as a “big person” by merely giving interviews. Responding to this meeting, Jayakumar on Monday said that it did not solve anything but the person creating problems is Annamalai and not AIADMK.
Jayakumar went on to criticise BJP’s loss in Karnataka to Congress in May and questioned why Annamalai did not speak of the allegations of 40% commission by contractors against his party. Annamalai, who was a former IPS officer in Karnataka, has the backing of the BJP’s top brass particularly B L Santosh and was one of the election in-charges of the neighbouring state.
AIADMK’s attack comes even as Shah had shown full faith in Annamalai in the public meeting in Vellore on Sunday. Shah also praised Annamalai in a closed door meeting in Chennai. Shah set a target of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the AIADMK here to win 25 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “We expect Amit Shah and Nadda to warn him. If Annamalai continues to criticise us, we will take a decision about the alliance at the right time.”
Recalling that former national leaders including those from the BJP used to meet Jayalalithaa in her famed residence in Chennai’s Poes Garden, the AIADMK leader said: “Annamalai doesn’t know history. He is a child. He has no maturity. He has no control over his tongue. He is not fit to be a leader of the state.”
Expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam (OPS) who officiated during Jayalalithaa’s illness and death also condemned Annamalai. “If the BJP did not have a majority in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Amma would have been Prime Minister,” said OPS. “Amma died innocent.”
