No need to break Edappadi Palaniswami-led AIADMK, says BJP amid flak
The BJP has wanted a united AIADMK ever since they joined hands ahead of the 2019 parliamentary elections in their bid to defeat the ruling DMK
The BJP has no necessity to break the AIADMK led by Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS), said the national party’s state president Nainar Nagendran on Thursday even as he extended an olive branch to O Panneerselvam (OPS) and TTV Dhinakaran. This comes amid criticism that the BJP is trying to break the AIADMK by destabilising EPS’ leadership.
“The AIADMK is strong. There’s no need for the BJP to break that party. We have accepted its general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami to head the (NDA) alliance. People are thronging to go to his campaigns” Nagendran told reporters in Chennai. This criticism that the BJP was trying to meddle in the affairs of the AIADMK grew louder after K A Sengottaiyan met Union home minister Amit Shah and Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday after EPS had expelled him from the AIADMK last week for calling for expelled leaders to be brought back. Sengottaiyan, a 9-time MLA, on September 5 had issued a 10-day deadline to EPS to start the process of bringing back leaders he expelled including OPS, Dhinakaran and his aunt V K Sasikala.
Nainar Nagendran said that he wasn’t aware of the details and context in which the meeting had happened in Delhi. But, on his return on Tuesday, Sengottaiyan told reporters that he discussed efforts for unification of the AIADMK giving credence to speculation that he did this at the behest of the BJP.
Nagendran also said that he is open to speaking to OPS after he and Dhinkaran quit the NDA but have kept their options open to re-join the alliance if their demands are met. OPS wants the AIADMK united while Dhinakaran who leads the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK, a faction of the AIADMK) wants EPS to not be NDA’s chief ministerial candidate for the 2026 assembly elections.
The BJP too has wanted a united AIADMK ever since they joined hands ahead of the 2019 parliamentary elections in their bid to defeat the ruling DMK. But, AIADMK general secretary and leader of opposition, EPS has been firm on not taking back Sasikala and Co., he was once faithful to, and later expelled. The episode of Sengottaiyan in Delhi did not go down well with the AIADMK. “Why should the BJP leadership host him (Sengottaiyan) when EPS has removed him from the AIADMK? That’s an insult,” said an AIADMK leader on condition of anonymity.
OPS and Dhinakaran exited in July and August respectively saying that they were cold shouldered after EPS re-entered the alliance in April. After the AIADMK left the BJP in 2023, OPS and Dhinakaran joined the NDA ahead of the 2024 elections but Shah had brought back EPS into their fold in April.
“I am willing to speak to OPS,” Nagendran said. While leaving the NDA, OPS had alleged that Nagendran didn’t respond to him after he had called and messaged him seeking an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July. On Dhinakaran’s demand to change the CM candidate, Nagendran said that was his opinion.
