AIADMK leader says no more alliance with BJP

In a setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a senior leader of AIADMK on Monday said his party has no alliance with the BJP, saying any decision regarding the coalition will be taken during polls.

However, top BJP sources said any issues between AIADMK and the state party unit will be sorted out amicably. Rumours of no alliance between two parties are untrue, they said.

AIADMK’s D Jayakumar lashed out at the BJP state chief K Annamalai for his criticism of Dravidian stalwart C N Annadurai. He further said that his party workers will not tolerate any insult to the late chief minister.

“Annamalai doesn’t desire an alliance with AIADMK although BJP workers want it. Should we tolerate all this criticism of our leaders? Why should we carry you? BJP can’t set foot here. Your vote bank is known. You are known because of us,” the former minister told reporters.

Jayakumar said that while Annamalai had made critical remarks about AIADMK leaders including the late J Jayalalithaa, the party had sought that the BJP leader be restrained.

“He is criticising Anna, Periyar and the General Secretary. No cadre would accept this. Tomorrow we have to work on the field. So without any option, we announced this. There won’t be any impact on us with this decision. We are confident of our victory,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu BJP vice-president Narayanan Thirupathy said that the alliance between the AIADMK and the BJP is ‘intact rock solid’.