Amid slew of meets, AIADMK left guessing on BJP’s game plan
It was one of the meetings conducted by the BJP leaders to gauge the ground reality in different camps of the AIADMK, with the 2026 polls in mind;
Expelled AIADMK leader KC Palanisamy interacting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday
CHENNAI: A day after his 20-minute meeting with BJP leader and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, expelled AIADMK leader and former MP KC Palanisamy stated that the discussion centred around a single agenda of ‘re-establishing the AIADMK government’ in the State. It was one of the meetings conducted by the BJP leaders to gauge the ground reality in different camps of the AIADMK, with the 2026 polls in mind.
“We spoke politics, and it revolved around the AIADMK forming the government in 2026,” Palanisamy told DT Next and declined to elaborate further on what transpired during the meeting. Sources close to the two leaders revealed that it was one of the “pre-planned” meetings of the Finance Minister, who was tasked by the national leadership of the saffron party to gather information in order to devise their strategy for the Assembly polls early next year.
Information from reliable sources indicated that KC Palanisamy categorically told the minister that “only a united AIADMK-led front” can halt the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance’s victory march.
Sources with first-hand knowledge of the KC Palanisamy-Nirmala Sitharaman meeting noted that former AIADMK Minister KA Sengottaiyan held a ‘discreet’ meeting with the minister on Saturday.
Meanwhile, functionaries and strong supporters of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palanisami opined that the BJP is keen on reviving its alliance with the party. However, the saffron party leadership is also facing internal challenges, which are sending a confusing message to AIADMK functionaries, who are left wondering about the national party’s game plan.
“Nothing in these meetings is off-script for the BJP. Every move is calculated, and the minister’s recent visits and meetings have centred around the forthcoming elections,” added a senior BJP leader, preferring anonymity, who is coordinating some of the meetings. The leader, however, stated that each meeting is aimed at shaping a strong alliance to dethrone the current DMK regime.