AIADMK deserts NDA forcing BJP to fend for itself in 2024

In a major political development, the AIADMK has deserted the BJP-led NDA, leaving the saffron party to fend for itself in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll in the crucial southern state. The decision to snap ties with the BJP was taken unanimously at a meeting of party District Secretaries, MPs, MLAs, and frontline leaders, chaired by general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). Other than the BJP, the AIADMK is the only major constituent of the NDA with representation in parliament.

Chennai: Months of persuasion with the BJP national leadership to rein in its Tamil Nadu state president K Annamalai from painting AIADMK icons in a bad light having been disregarded, the Dravidian major has walked out of the NDA. The unanimous decision taken at a meeting of the party satraps, chaired by EPS at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai on Monday, has left the saffron party dumbfounded.

It was also decided that the Dravidian major will lead an alliance sans the BJP in the 2024 parliamentary elections. And, jubilant AIADMK workers gathered at the party headquarters in large numbers, welcomed the snapping of ties by bursting crackers and dancing. Similar celebrations were witnessed in Salem, home to EPS, and across the state as if the cadre were waiting for such a move.

Significantly, the AIADMK exiting the saffron alliance comes within a couple of days of a party delegation meeting BJP national president JP Nadda and Union Minister Piyush Goyal after failing to secure an appointment with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Speculation was that the delegation had pressed for a change in the BJP state unit leadership, which was painting in bad light AIADMK icons, Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai (Anna) and Jayalalithaa as well as EPS. But, it was understood that the party's displeasure was made clear to the BJP national leadership so that it can carry out a course correction.

“For the past year, the state leadership of the BJP, with a preplanned, wanton, and ulterior motive, has been throwing canards at the AIADMK tarnishing the deified image of 'Perarignar' Anna (CN Annadurai) and Jayalalithaa, the deity in our hearts, besides criticising our policies,” reads the sole resolution adopted at the meeting, giving justification for the exit from the NDA. Further, it charged the BJP state leadership, without naming Annamalai, with ridiculing the AIADMK's golden jubilee conference held on August 20 this year in Madurai and engaging in a slander campaign against EPS which has enraged the party workers. “As such, taking into account the feelings of the 2 crore party workers and their desire, the AIADMK is snapping ties with the BJP and exiting from the NDA,” the resolution said.

The AIADMK under Jayalalithaa brought down the Vajpayee government in 1999 and never had a truck with the BJP after 2004. But, after her demise in December 2016, the BJP played a crucial role in keeping the AIADMK in power with EPS at the helm. The saffron party also brought the OPS faction back into the AIADMK fold. The AIADMK's defeat in the 2021 assembly elections and the appointment of an ambitious and aggressive Annamalai, a former Karnataka cadre IPS officer, as the BJP state president witnessed the relationship between the two parties turning sour. The BJP eyeing to corner the opposition space was unpalatable for EPS and the AIADMK.

Refusing to comment on the development, Annamalai, currently on the second phase of his state-wide padayatra, “En Man En Makkal” (My soil, My people), said “We have seen the AIADMK party release. The party's national leadership will take a decision. I do not want to talk about politics during the yatra.” It was echoed by other BJP functionaries as well.

“The BJP is not benefiting from the alliance with the AIADMK as vote transfer is not taking place. And, after the expulsion of former Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (OPS), the party is aware of EPS' sphere of influence getting shrunk to western Tamil Nadu, the Kongu belt. Further, both Annamalai and EPS hail from the same dominant OBC Goundar community in that region and there can't be two swords in one sheath. Besides its social engineering, the BJP is building an alliance of smaller parties under its leadership for 2024,” explains rightwing political commentator Raveendran Duraisamy. Analysts are unanimous that EPS has set his eyes on the 2026 assembly elections and hopes that snapping ties with the BJP will help bring back minority votes. Further, it will also be a barometer for the BJP to gauge its strength and enhanced support base.