Chennai:

K Annamalai, the chief of BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit, today asked party workers to strengthen its hold in the state to take on the ruling DMK after losing AIADMK, an important ally, from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), sources said.

The Tamil Nadu BJP chief urged his party’s district Presidents and state office bearers to work very hard to expand BJP’s negligible presence in the state and to capitalise on what he calls the Modi government’s performance, sources said.

After losing its ally, the AIADMK, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP has no strong political party on its side yet in Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to NDTV, Mr Annamalai said, “We will present the report card of Modi government’s work in the last ten years. Be it 2014 or 2019, Tamil Nadu has not repeated the pattern. I am confident the people of the state will reward us with an exponentially high number of MPs for NDA.”

K Annamalai denies violating, what AIADMK terms as coalition dharma, after comments on their former ally’s icons CN Annadurai and J Jayalalithaa.

“I’d not go by what they say in the statement. In politics, decisions are taken based on strategic choices. It’s their individual decision, I would not want to comment,” he said.

The AIADMK lost all three polls it fought when it was in alliance with the BJP, including the Lok Sabha polls it suffered a near rout and the assembly elections. For AIADMK chief, E Palaniswami, it is an acid test for his leadership to reclaim the party’s falling political fortunes since J Jayalalithaa’s death. EPS has also ruled out any U-turn in decision after the alliance was called off.  

“When a resolution is adopted, it is final. The decisions are taken at an all-India level. We were forced to support issues we didn’t agree on due to alliance dharma. Now we have no such situation”, the former Chief Minister said.

The AIADMK and BJP leadership did not even campaign together for the Erode East Bypoll. The Dravidian party saw the BJP as a liability.

Meanwhile, K Annamalai suspended his padayatra until October 16, citing bed rest advised by doctors, triggering speculations about whether the party’s leadership is attempting to reach out to the AIADMK.

While AIADMK is upbeat after snapping ties with the BJP, it is time for a reality check for their former ally (BJP) in Tamil Nadu following a phase of hype.