CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami averring that the BJP continued to be its ally and that the parties would fight the 2024 Lok Sabha polls together not only put an end to the speculations on a possible political realignment in the State but came as an indication of his rise in popularity in the political firmament after emerging as the sole leader of the party.
Speaking to the media after the Assembly session on Thursday, Palaniswami dispelled all doubts on the continuation of his party’s alliance with the BJP after BJP State President K Annamalai had opened declared that he would step down from the post if the party high command insisted on the alliance, which he said was coming in the way of developing the BJP in the State.
Palaniswami’s statement also comes close on the heels of Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirming the continuation of the alliance though there were speculations that Annamalai during his visits to New Delhi had managed to convince the party top brass on the need to go it alone in the next elections and strengthening the party at the State level.
The BJP national leadership's reluctance to snap ties with the AIADMK points to the importance the regional party has gained after Palaniswami became the general secretary and announced a membership drive to almost double the party’s strength at the grassroots level. Though the sudden eruption of infighting led many to believe that the party would be finished soon, Palaniswami has now proved those naysayers wrong.
Though there seemed to be some dissatisfaction among the other members of the AIADMK-led alliance in the State when the infighting between Palaniswami and his bete noire O Panneerselvam was at its peak, the resolution of the dispute that handed over the mantle of the party to Palaniswami changed the attitude of all alliance partners.
Most of the leaders of the alliance parties, including Annamalai and Union Minister L Murugan, greeted Palaniswami on his becoming the general secretary, which is a way of pledging their support to him.
Even Premalatha Vijayakanth of the DMDK wished him on his becoming the general secretary, besides other leaders like PMK’s S Ramadoss, TMC’s G K Vasan. Leaders of smaller partners like John Pandian and Jagan Moorthy greeted him, driving home the point that they had acknowledged his leadership.
In this backdrop, even if Annamalai insists on the BJP breaking ties with AIADMK and facing the elections in the company of other alliance partners and the faction of O Panneerselvam, the national leadership is unlikely to change the present course for it sees electoral benefits by being in the company of the AIADMK spearheaded by Palaniswami.
That Palaniswami, too, is not inclined to rock the alliance boat is evident from the silence of some other leaders of his party who had earlier been talking against the tie-up with BJP. Some of them had even privately complained that the party that was popular among the minority communities lost that vote bank after it took the BJP into its fold. But now, Palaniswami alone would speak on such issues of great political import, it has become clear.
