The man, who started the recent tussle last Tuesday, is one of AIADMK’s founding members C Ponnaiyan.
The tension between alliance partners the AIADMK and BJP isn’t new, but the latest war of words that lasted more than a week despite both sides calling for a truce has grabbed attention.
The man, who started the recent tussle last Tuesday, is one of AIADMK’s founding members C Ponnaiyan. He told HT that in the previous 2021 assembly elections, they lost the vote bank of the Christians, Muslims and the Scheduled Caste (SC) communities because of their alliance with the BJP which they want to course correct before the 2024 general election.
“In the past, they were in favour of the AIADMK. This has considerably reduced because of our alliance with the BJP which is wedded to Hindutva policy to detriment of the wishes and desires of the minority communities,” Ponnaiyan said.
“Parliamentary elections are to take place soon. So, we have to create an awareness in the minds of the people that the BJP should change its attitude. They must adopt a positive attitude towards the minorities and the SC. They must resort to understanding the feelings of Tamil people. Then only they can emerge as successful in the ensuing parliamentary election against the DMK. That is why it is only an attempt to create awareness which will help the BJP to grow in Tamil Nadu which will help the AIADMK to fight strongly against the DMK.”
Ponnaiyan also added that they were in alliance only for electoral purposes and that the BJP has always been against Tamil sentiments.
Through this episode, the Dravidian party that has been battling criticism that it is an ineffective opposition by their expelled interim general secretary VK Sasikala and BJP leaders has asserted itself for its cadre. The context is the never-before-seen visibility of the BJP in Tamil Nadu thanks to its president K Annamalai who since his elevation last year has called for press conferences almost every other day and has remained in the news cycle for his comments on various issues.
“As far as the BJP is concerned, we are political allies whenever necessary. Need-based political allies.” Ponnaiyan said. “We are having cordial relationships with the all India BJP and the state BJP. That is in regard to electoral understanding.”
He cited the local body elections held in February as an example where the BJP and AIADMK had contested on their own. “That does not mean our friendship is over. Our alliance may reshape positively in the next elections (2024).”
Former chief minister and AIADMK joint coordinator Edappadi Palaniswami, under whom the NDA alliance was stitched ahead of the 2019 general election, told reporters in Salem on Monday that allies were going strong. Though late J Jayalalithaa has been in alliance with the AV Vajpayee government before she abruptly pulled out, after her death, the BJP found a weakened AIADMK to make inroads into the state which has electorally rejected the saffron party.
“Every party will care about their own growth. They will motivate cadre and that’s the only way to make the party grow. That doesn’t mean there is a problem between us and the BJP. We have already said his (Ponnaiyan’s) comments are his own. We put a full stop to this issue,” Palaniswami.
