The rift between Tamil Nadu”s main opposition party, AIADMK, and its former ally, BJP, continues to deepen, with recent remarks from senior AIADMK leader KP Munusamy challenging the BJP to prove if its support has grown in the southern state.
During a party event on Thursday, Munusamy challenged the BJP to field Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, both of whom have Tamil roots frequently highlighted by the BJP, in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Tamil Nadu. He questioned whether the BJP truly believes its support has increased in the state.
“Can BJP field Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and S Jaishankar from any constituency in Tamil Nadu for upcoming general election… if they indeed believe their support has grown?” he asked.
Sitharaman and Jaishankar currently serve as Rajya Sabha MPs from Karnataka and Gujarat, respectively, with no indications that they will contest from Tamil Nadu in the national election.
Munusamy”s bold challenge underscores the deteriorating relationship between the former allies, which saw the AIADMK exiting the BJP-led NDA in September last year. The departure came following critical remarks by the BJP”s state chief K Annamalai about former Chief Minister CN Annadurai, whom the AIADMK reveres as its founder MG Ramachandran’s mentor.
Annamalai”s refusal to apologise for his comments, backed by the BJP, further strained the relationship. The AIADMK had celebrated the split with the BJP, highlighting their electoral losses when contested together, including the significant setback in the 2021 state elections where they secured only 75 seats compared to 136 in 2016. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the AIADMK-BJP alliance won just a single seat, while rivals DMK-Congress claimed 38 of 39.
Since the break-up, the BJP has been left without a significant alliance partner in the state. The BJP has so far partnered with the Tamil Manila Congress and considering partnerships with other regional parties like the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). There is also speculation that senior political figures, like O Panneerselvam, may also join the BJP in an individual capacity.
This week, however, the BJP welcomed 15 former MLAs and an ex-MP into its fold, most of whom were formerly associated with the AIADMK. Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the significant influx of new members underscores Prime Minister Modi”s growing popularity even in a state like Tamil Nadu, where historically, the BJP has not wielded considerable influence.
Highlighting Prime Minister Modi”s ambitious projection of securing 370 seats for the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, with the NDA crossing the 400 mark, Chandrasekhar asserted that a substantial portion of these envisioned victories is expected to come from Tamil Nadu.
The AIADMK is currently engaged in discussions with the PMK, DMDK, and several smaller parties.
Meanwhile, the ruling DMK, aligned with the Congress-led INDIA bloc, seems to be in a more favorable position, having sealed alliances with smaller parties like the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Kongu Desa Makkal Katchi. The DMK has already designated one seat each to its allies. The IUML will contest from the Ramanathapuram constituency, while the KDMK will vie for the seat in Namakal.
The discussions with the Congress, which secured nine out of 10 seats it contested in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the last election, are also on besides forming an alliance with actor Kamal Hassan”s Makkal Needhi Maiam.
