AIADMK AND BJP TEAM UP: Again For Tamil Nadu Polls Under EPS’ Leadership

The two parties were in an alliance earlier too. The assembly election for which both have joined hands is scheduled next year.

Chennai/New Delhi:

Tamil Nadu’s opposition party AIADMK and the BJP will contest the state elections together under the leadership of former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), Union Home Minister Amit Shah said today at a joint press conference in Chennai.

The two parties were in an alliance earlier too. The assembly election for which both have joined hands is scheduled next year.

Mr.Shah’s statement:

“We will make a common minimum programme if needed,” Mr Shah, flanked by EPS, told reporters.
Mr Shah reminded of a huge win in the Lok Sabha in 1998 when the BJP and AIADMK
formed an alliance helmed by former chief minister J Jayalalithaa. The BJP-AIADMK alliance at one point won 30 of 39 Lok Sabha seats, he said.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will comfortably win in Tamil Nadu, Mr Shah said.

On how the alliance would work out, the Home Minister said the BJP will not interfere in AIADMK’s internal matters.

What was the end result?

The announcement came after the BJP announced the nomination of Nainar Nagenthiran as the party’s Tamil Nadu chief to replace K Annamalai. Mr Shah thanked Mr Annamalai for his “unprecedented contributions” to the party. The BJP will leverage the young leader’s organisational skills in the party’s national framework, Mr Shah said.

The BJP said the alliance announcement has no link whatsoever with the decision to replace Mr Annamalai, as the decision to fight the election in a tie-up with the AIADMK was already decided.