“Happiest Moment”: AIADMK formally departs from the NDA and the BJP

The Tamil Nadu party’s outrage at BJP state president K Annamalai’s remarks regarding late former chief ministers CN Annadurai and J Jayalalithaa put the AIADMK-BJP coalition on the verge of collapse.

Just months before the general election, Tamil Nadu’s AIADMK severed ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance over comments made by the latter party’s state chief, K Annamalai. The BJP politician was charged by the AIADMK with intentionally defaming its current and former leaders.

KP Munusamy, the AIADMK’s deputy general secretary, made the announcement of the split following a gathering of MPs, MLAs, and district heads in Chennai when a resolution was unanimously approved. “Starting today, AIADMK is cutting all connections with the BJP and NDA. Over the past year, BJP state leadership has made unwarranted comments regarding our former leaders.

Mr. Munusamy added, “The AIADMK will fight the 2024 election with its allies.”

According to Sasirekha, a spokesman for AIAMK, “we are taking this resolution based on the views of members. The happiest time (for us) is right now. We are excited to run in the upcoming elections, whether for the Assembly or the Parliament.

To celebrate, party employees let off firecrackers and handed out candy. One of the happy people, Venu, told NDTV, “This is a terrific choice. Our employees appreciate this. G Venkatesh stated, “The BJP coalition prevented us from receiving votes from minorities. Now, we’ll take home all 39 Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming election.

In Coimbatore, Mr. Annamalai, who is participating in a foot march known as a padyatra, declared, “Our national leadership will respond.”

He had before resisted giving in. He made the case that what he had stated was historical and needed to be understood in light of the controversy surrounding Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comment regarding Sanatan Dharm.

The south Indian party held tight to its demand that Mr. Annamalai either apologize for remarks he made about the late former Chief Minister CN Annadurai, or be replaced with a “non-controversial leader” at a meeting in Delhi on Saturday in a last-ditch effort to mend strained relations. AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran received guidance from Mr. Annadurai.

Discussions at that meeting were described as “cordial” by a senior AIADMK official, while M Chakravarthy of the BJP painted a different image in his remarks. “…leadership does not relish idea of shifting Annamalai as he has been (instrumental in) reviving the party (in Tamil Nadu)…. He only made a remark alluding to Annadurai during Sanatan Dharma row.”

Last week, the alliance was in danger after D Jayakumar of the former party informed reporters that “we will decide on alliance before the election.” “Annamalai is unsuited to lead the BJP in Tamil Nadu. He only criticizes former presidents in order to advance himself, the man claimed.

The late former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, who is still regarded as iconic and even adored within the AIADMK, had also received criticism from the BJP leader in the past. At the time, the southern party had urged that the state’s BJP chairman be restrained; Mr. Annamalai regularly pokes fun at both the DMK, their common enemy, and his party’s ally (the sole one in the state).

His remarks have raised rumors that the BJP is attempting to carve out territory for itself in Tamil Nadu, a state where it has so far been unable to gain any electoral ground, ahead of the 2018 elections.

He even came out against joining forces with the AIADMK in March, infuriating top officials.

“BJP workers want an alliance with the AIADMK, but Annamalai doesn’t want one. Should we put up with critiquing our leaders? Why are we carrying you? BJP cannot enter this area. Jayakumar pronounced.

Jayalalithaa never actually formed a formal alliance with them while she was in power because she thought it could not fit into the political landscape of the state, which is dominated by Dravidian beliefs; the BJP has amicable ties with the AIADMK but has typically been maintained at a distance from them.

The AIADMK has lost every election it has partnered with the BJP in, including the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly elections, by a large margin, leading it to view the BJP as a liability going into the 2024 election. With only 75 seats gained in 2021 (down from 136 five years earlier), the AIADMK was driven from power by the DMK-Congress alliance. In the most recent national election, the DMK increased from 0 to 39 seats, while the AIADMK decreased from 37 seats to only one.