Allies lack cohesion, NDA remains non-starter in State

CHENNAI: The lack of cohesiveness among the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners in Tamil Nadu is glaring enough to indicate that the front is a non-starter. It would serve as a counter-effective in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls when it faces the DMK-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance ‘INDIA’ in the state.

On chairing a meeting with leaders of 38 parties on July 18 in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi exuded confidence that NDA would secure more than 50 per cent of the vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Again, he made a point on August 15 that he would return to Red Fort to hoist the Tricolour next year.

However, the political development within the allies in Tamil Nadu is not looking so promising. It might play a spoilsport to PM Modi’s prediction. Though, the central leadership of the saffron party highly regard the presence of the AIADMK in the alliance, its state unit and its leader K Annamalai remains a thorn in the flesh of the alliance.

The former IPS officer, who was made state president within a year of entering politics, put the AIADMK leadership in an uncomfortable spot. The leaders and cadres of the two parties are at loggerhead often and indulge in mudslinging at each other.

“The NDA alliance here is a non-starter. It is evident as leaders of alliance parties are criticising each other instead of taking on the DMK front that speaks in a single voice on various issues,” said an AIADMK functionary, preferring anonymity.

The issue is between not only the BJP and AIADMK, but the understanding with the other potential ally like PMK is also exposing the weakness in NDA. “The NDA in state is not forged with collective consensus. The AIADMK leaders are sticking to BJP to avoid facing the central agencies like ED and I-T. Though PMK is unwilling to be along with the AIADMK, they have no other choice. So, the NDA will be out of compulsion with no cohesiveness and chemistry among them,” said political critic Nathan.

Ambitious to end the bi-polar politics centered on Dravidian majors, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss and BJP state president K Annamalai overtly expressed their strong desire to form an alliance headed by their respective parties for the 2026 Assembly polls. This turned into a counter-effective for the NDA in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

“We are part of the NDA at the national level. We will formulate a strategy for the 2024 LS polls that will help us to form the PMK-led coalition government in the state in 2026. Our leader (Anbumani) made this clear,” said PMK spokesperson K Balu, while BJP’s state secretary Karu Nagarajan said that NDA is there at the national level. The meeting was held with leaders of the alliance in Delhi recently. Both of them expressed displeasure over the AIADMK for not inviting the leaders of allies for their Madurai ‘Ezhuchi Manadu.’

“It is customary for political parties to invite alliance leaders to their conference. It did not happen in AIADMK’s recent conference,” Balu said, while Nagarajan noted that they did not receive an invitation for the conference.

AIADMK spokesperson D Jayakumar said they are part of the BJP-led NDA at national level. In Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK would head the alliance, in which the BJP and other allies are part of it.

On contradiction among alliance leaders, Jayakumar said that things would fall into place as they inch closer to the elections.