BJP’s poster boy Annamalai lands party in a spot after AIADMK severs ties

Chennai, Oct 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The principal opposition party in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK leaving the NDA and cutting its ties with the BJP has dealt a major blow to the saffron party in the Dravidian state.

The BJP, which was trying to boost its fortunes by piggybacking on the popularity of the AIADMK, is now in a tizzy as the chances of a rapprochement are not bright.

The BJP’s new poster boy in Tamil Nadu and former IPS officer Annamalai’s comments and social media postings against Dravidian icons led to the AIADMK and the BJP relationship breaking down.

The BJP leader during his ‘En Mann Enn Makkal’ yatra in Tamil Nadu made disparaging comments against Dravidian icon and the first Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C.N. Annadurai who is credited with the all round development of the state.

The BJP leader had earlier made statements against late AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa citing corruption during her regime.

A senior AIADMK leader who did not want to be named while speaking to IANS said,” The BJP leader feels that he can get away even after making insulting remarks against our top leaders including our late leaders, C.N. Annadurai and J. Jayalalithaa. Annamalai has time and again proved that he is an immature politician who gets carried away with small and minor gains.”

The BJP central leadership has already tried to patch up with the AIADMK with senior BJP leader and Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma acting as a troubleshooter. He had ,according to sources in the AIADMK, held discussions with the party's senior leaders but the Dravidian party was not willing for a rapprochement with the BJP.

Interestingly Annamalai has taken a break from his ‘En Mann, En Makkal’ yatra and is hospitalised. Sources in the BJP told IANS that the central leadership of the party is unhappy with Annamalai and his upsetting the relationship with the AIADMK which would have paid rich dividends to the saffron party in the Dravidian heartland.

It is to be noted that even after ten years in power from 2011 to 2021, the AIADMK could secure only a 33.29 percent vote share while the DMK which won the polls secured a 37.7 per cent vote share.

While the DMK got 133 seats, the AIADMK won 66 seats. The BJP could garner only a 2.61 percent vote share even after piggybacking on the AIADMK. This clearly shows that the BJP is no match for the AIADMK at the ground level and without a Dravidian political party the saffron party’s dream of breaking into the big league in Tamil Nadu politics will remain only a pipe dream.

While Annamalai is claiming that the fight on the ground is between the DMK and the BJP, political pundits pooh-poohed the claims.

Political analyst and director of Social and Economic Studies in Chennai MJ Sunil told IANS that, “The BJP should have played second fiddle to the AIADMK if they wanted to slowly and steadily develop in Tamil Nadu. The party will come a cropper in the 2024 general elections. There is no hope left for the BJP in the state while the AIADMK has lot of options including support from minority and Dalit groups.”

Even though the BJP in Tamil Nadu is trying to portray itself as a monolithic unit under Annamalai, many senior leaders are unhappy at the moves of the state party president.

A senior BJP leader while speaking to IANS said, “ Annamalai thought that he could conquer Tamil Nadu in a few months. The caste and social realities of this state are different and they have to be properly taken into account if we want to make an impact. The AIADMK alliance was a proper ladder for the BJP to develop the party in a few years. Without the support of a popular Dravidian political party, the BJP may not be able to do anything in the state which has its own social and caste combinations.”

After Karnataka, the hopes of the BJP in Tamil Nadu also seem to be fading and with the AIADMK trying for new political alliances, a patch up seems to be difficult at this juncture with the Dravidian party.

Source: IANS