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No tie-up with BJP now, says AIADMK
Senior AIADMK functionary D Jayakumar stated that the party is "not in alliance" with the BJP, following a dispute with the BJP's state president K Annamalai.
Is the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) still part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA)? A senior AIADMK functionary, D Jayakumar on Monday said his party is “not in alliance” with the BJP, following the latest spat between members of the former and the latter’s state president K Annamalai.
The immediate provocation was Annamalai’s comments on CN Annadurai, one of the pillars of the Dravidian movement and the political mentor of AIADMK founder the late MG Ramachandran (who split from the DMK to form the AIADMK).
To be sure, the ire of Jayakumar, the party’s organising secretary was Annamalai more than the BJP’s central leadership. AIADMK chief and the state’s former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (aka EPS) has previously said that decisions on the alliance and seat-sharing would involve the party’s central leadership, not Annamalai. A senior AIADMK leader who asked not to be named suggested that a decision on the party continuing to be part of the NDA would be taken by Palaniswami.
A senior BJP leader in the state said: “Unless EPS makes a statement on the alliance, we will not take it seriously.”
Jayakumar was unsparing in his criticism of Annamalai.
“He doesn’t respect alliance dharma so I’m saying there is no alliance,” Jayakumar told reporters in Chennai on Monday. “BJP is not in alliance with the AIADMK. It will be decided during elections. This is our stand. The BJP has an identity only because of the AIADMK in the southern state.”
This isn’t the first time Annamalai has clashed with AIADMK leaders, many of whom suspect that he wants to grow the BJP in the state at their party’s expense.
Reacting to Jayakumar’s comments, Amar Prasad Reddy, an aide of Annamalai, said the AIADMK was unable to stand the growing popularity of the BJP and its state chief. “Annamalai is a principled politician, he cannot bend for corruption or wrong policies. He was only referring to some historical event,” Reddy said, adding that Annamalai has also spoken highly of Annadurai. He said the BJP state chief would not retract his statement.
Reddy claimed that there was a huge response across the state to Annamalai’s foot march. “Probably this is the era where we are moving from a fake Dravidian ideology to a nationalist one.”
Interestingly, the AIADMK, which shares the same Dravidian ideology as the DMK has steered clear of criticising DMK minister Udayanidhi Stalin’s comment on sanatana dharma.
The BJP leader cited above said Jayakumar’s comments may be the AIADMK’s way of having the upper hand in seat-sharing talks.
In 2019, of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the BJP, part of the AIADMK-led coalition in the state, contested five. It lost all five; but the AIADMK itself didn’t fare better, winning only one seat. This time Annamalai is seeking more seats for the BJP, claiming that the Dravidian party was losing its public support.
And Jayakumar pointed out that the BJP leaders has consistently “insulted our leaders”. “BJP cadres want an alliance with AIADMK but not Annamalai.”
Previously, the AIADMK passed a resolution against Annamalai (in June this year) when he spoke of corruption cases against the late J Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK’s former chief and chief minister of the state. “We already said if he doesn’t stop, we will have to reassess our alliance,” Jayakumar said.
The latest chapter in the spat between the allies comes shortly after EPS met Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi.
Leaders from the state BJP and AIADMK told HT that the two discussed seat-sharing in the 2024 national election.
“This issue is only about the seat-sharing numbers,” said political analyst Raveendran Duraisamy, adding that Annamalai doesn’t want to be taken for granted like his predecessors Pon Radhakrishnan and Tamilisai Soundarajan. “Annamalai wants to be a tough negotiator. But AIADMK wants the state BJP unit to listen to them. They both are not able to meet halfway.”
