AIADMK’s Tirupur meeting raises first sign of unease over BJP alliance
Echoing a similar view, Ward 44 councillor of Tirupur Corporation, Kannappan, said the present alliance has been formed because of the compulsion to save AIADMK
‘Pollachi’ Jayaraman addressing cadre at Tirupur on Monday
COIMBATORE: Voices of discontent have begun to surface in AIADMK over the party’s alliance with the BJP for the 2026 assembly polls, if the tone of the Monday meeting in the Kongu region is considered a sign of the mood within the organisation.
At a meeting, led by the party’s senior leader and Tirupur urban district secretary ‘Pollachi’ V Jayaraman with booth committee members of AIADMK’s Tirupur south constituency on Monday, the functionaries openly expressed displeasure and raised fear over losing the support of minorities
“During the last Lok Sabha polls, when AIADMK allied with BJP, our Muslim brethren grew upset and refused to get involved in poll work. Many of them said that people will not accept an alliance with the BJP. We then insisted that Muslims work for AIADMK by stressing the need for their support. Yet, the DMK ultimately won 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu. The DMK harvested the votes of minorities by instigating the communal sentiments,” said AIADMK ex-MLA S Gunasekaran.
Echoing a similar view, Ward 44 councillor of Tirupur Corporation, Kannappan, said the present alliance has been formed because of the compulsion to save AIADMK. “If not for this alliance, the AIADMK would have broken into four or five factions. The AIADMK leadership should issue a statement reiterating its commitment to stand for the cause of Muslims,” he said.
Addressing the meeting, senior leader Pollachi V Jayaraman said they have no regrets over the party’s alliance with the BJP. “We are firm on this alliance decision taken by the party’s general secretary, Edappadi K Palaniswami. Nevertheless, the ex-MLA and councillor have pointed to their past experiences as there are large numbers of Muslims in their area,” he said.
On the contrary, senior leaders like Jayakumar maintained a low profile after the alliance announcement, which didn’t convince the cadre about how sound the decision was. Jayakumar later clarified that he sticks to AIADMK, but he was among the leaders who vehemently opposed ties with the BJP and had firmly stated that the AIADMK would never align with the saffron party. He also refused to comment on the alliance revival.
