New Delhi: The BJP’s alliance with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in Tmail Nadu will continue, despite the saffron party’s state unit president K. Annamalai’s constant barbs against the Dravidian party.On Wednesday, April 26, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) met Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP chief J.P. Nadda. Speaking about the details of the meet, EPS said, according to The News Minute, “There is no dispute between the AIADMK and the BJP or Annamalai [Tamil Nadu BJP chief]. Some people are attempting to create a division between us. Both parties will act according to their principles. Together, our alliance will succeed.”Annamalai, over the past month, has made several statements that caused tensions between the two parties. He said he would step down as the BJP’s Tamil Nadu president if the Central leadership aligned with the AIADMK for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He had also threatened to “release files containing allegations of corruption against AIADMK leaders at an opportune moment”, according to The News Minute.According to Deccan Herald, Annamalai was also present during the meeting and he is said to have promised to abide by the BJP central leadership’s decision.Tamil Nadu could play a pivotal role in deciding the fate of any national coalition. It sends 39 MPs to the Lok Sabha, and in the 2019, the DMK – and its ally Congress – wont 38 of them. However, five years before that, AIADMK swept the state.The Deccan Herald report noted that while Annamalai had to climb down from his stance to quit the president’s post if the BJP allies with the AIADMK, Shah has nevertheless reposed faith in the former Karnataka-cadre IPS officer. His presence in the meeting was a signal to EPS that Annamalai is not going anywhere, the newspaper reporterd.
