Alliance intact, say senior BJP leaders
Senior leaders maintained that the alliance between the two parties remained intact in the state
Narayanan Thirupathy
CHENNAI: The squabble between the AIADMK and BJP, which incidentally worsened after AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami returned from the national capital after meeting senior leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, turned personal on Monday, with a close confidant of state BJP leader alluding to the allegation against Palaniswami in connection with the Kodanadu heist-cum-murder case.
However, several senior leaders maintained that the alliance between the two parties remained intact in the state.
Responding to AIADMK organising secretary and former minister D Jayakumar’s statement on BJP state president K Annamalai, the party’s state sports development wing president Amar Prasad Reddy, who is known as a close aide of Annamalai, hit back hard, linking AIADMK general secretary Palaniswami to the Kodanad case.
“If Jayakumar feels that being embroiled in controversies like Kodanad dacoity-cum-murder case is a qualification for a party leader, then our leader Annamalai does not have such qualifications,” he said. The remark came as response to Jayakumar’s comment that Annamalai was not fit to be a leader.
Still intact
However, BJP state vice-president Narayanan Thirupathy said that the alliance between BJP and AIADMK was intact. “The alliance between BJP and AIADMK is intact and solid. The alliance and its functioning are decided only by the senior leadership of the BJP and the senior leadership of the AIADMK. The NDA will win in all the constituencies in Tamil Nadu in the upcoming parliamentary elections,” he said.
Meanwhile, sources said that the national leadership of the party has instructed Annamalai to resolve the differences amicably so that the alliance was not affected.
Also, BJP state secretary Vinoj P Selvam invited like-minded parties to come together to defeat the DMK in the ensuing general election. “Annamalai has pointed out some facts from history. I really don’t think this should be the point of contention at this juncture. Today we have a common enemy in the DMK, which is also the enemy of the people of Tamil Nadu and also the interests of the Nation. It is important to focus on defeating the DMK. For this purpose, we want like-minded parties to come together,” he added.