Amid the strained relationship between the AIADMK led by Edappadi K Palaniswami and BJP’s Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai, the former met Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda in New Delhi late on Wednesday.
The meeting between the AIADMK senior leaders and the top leaders of the BJP took place at Shah’s residence late Wednesday night. Annamalai was also present in the meeting that lasted for over 40 minutes. This was also the first meeting with senior BJP leadership after Palaniswami became the general secretary of the party following clearance of several legal battles.
“Edappadi K Palaniswami told Amit Shah that the alliance should continue or else it would only make it easier for their common enemy (DMK) to win,” said a source privy to the developments.
Sources say the BJP top brass wanted Annamalai to be present in the meeting to sort out any differences between the two parties in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The meeting follows a stream of strong-worded exchanges between Palaniswami and Annamalai, fuelling speculation that AIADMK may be contemplating going it alone. The first instance was AIADMK kicking off the Erode East campaign without any reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the posters and banners. Annamalai then ruffled feathers by declaring that his crusade against corruption would not be restricted to the DMK, raising hackles at the AIADMK. Since then, Palamiswami’s attitude and comments about Annamalai’s political style have been highly critical.
The decision of Shah to meet with Palaniswami — in the presence of Annamalai — underscores the integration of Annamalai in the decision-making process of the BJP, with respect to Tamil Nadu.
Among other things that were discussed in the meet were the audio clips purportedly of PTR Palanivel Thiaga Rajan. Both the AIADMK and the BJP have demanded a central agency probe into it.
Amid a debate over standoffish posturing by the AIADMK towards the BJP, the meeting has caused speculation whether the regional party has softened its stance with the BJP. In the forthcoming parliamentary elections, the AIADMK-BJP alliance is an important determinant of how regional parties would align for the polls.
The post Amit Shah bid to patch up EPS, Tamil Nadu BJP strain first appeared on IPA Newspack.
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