Amid widespread speculations that the AIADMK was considering joining hands with its former ally the BJP, senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar on Monday, November 11, claimed that the media had “twisted” AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami’s statement. He categorically dismissed the speculations saying: “We have no connection or relationship with the BJP.”
Jayakumar made the statement after a veiled speech by AIADMK general secretary and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Edapaddi K Palaniswami who appeared to be suggesting that an alliance with the BJP was a possibility.
Speaking at a press meet in Trichy on November 10, EPS had said that the party was open to talks with “all like-minded parties” and that there are no such things as “open on closed doors in the party”. He made these comments in response to a question ‘if the AIADMK is keeping its doors open for alliances with the BJP and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).’
“There’s no such thing as keeping doors open or closed in the AIADMK. Perhaps it is like that in other parties. The AIADMK will ally with any like-minded party. As long as we are concerned, all like minded parties must come together to defeat this corrupt state government,” Palaniswami said.
When pressed on whom he meant by “like-minded” party, EPS added, “Anyone willing to join hands with us and are ideologically aligned are like-minded parties.”
After a dramatic exit from the National Democratic Alliance in 2023, EPS’ responses appeared to hint at a reconciliation with the BJP in preparation for the 2026 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.
However, Jayakumar clarified: “There is no change in the decision the AIADMK has taken. Our general secretary has said that clearly, but the media has twisted what he said and created controversy. By ‘like-minded’ he meant any party other than the BJP who want to defeat the anti-people DMK. We will consider alliances with any such party. We have no connection or relationship with the BJP. There is no change in this decision. And it will stay the same in the future.”
In 2023, the AIADMK had decided during a high-level meeting that the party would leave the BJP’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The decision came after internal pressure from AIADMK leadership and cadres who were reportedly increasingly finding the BJP’s stance on various issues indefensible in Tamil Nadu. Besides, the cadre could not tolerate BJP state president Annamalai’s provocative remarks against their former president J Jayalalithaa and idealogue Annadurai.
A resolution passed by the party at the time had said, “BJP’s leadership in Tamil Nadu has been wantonly speaking derogatorily about our ideological leaders including CN Annadurai and Jayalalithaa.”
Interestingly, it was Jayakumar who had declared, in a surprise move, that the AIADMK had broken its alliance with BJP even ahead of the official announcement on September 25 in 2023.
Slamming the TN BJP president’s jibes against Annadurai, Jayakumar had said at the time, “Annamalai doesn’t desire an alliance with the AIADMK although other BJP workers want it. Should we tolerate all this criticism of our leaders? BJP can’t set foot here (Tamil Nadu) if we are not with them. As far as the alliance is concerned, it is not there. BJP is not with AIADMK.”
Meanwhile, the controversy comes a day after the late Vijayakant’s Desiya Murpokku Dravida Katchi (DMDK) passed a resolution to begin campaign work in all 234 constituencies. The DMDK had allied with the AIADMK during the 2024 general elections. Further, it may be recalled that at Vijay’s debut speech at the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam’s (TVK) first state-level conference last month, he had taken a strong position on “defeating the corruption” of the DMK-led state government.
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AIADMK-BJP alliance break: Here’s what happened at the high level meeting