National

AIADMK Miffed With BJP Tamil Nadu Chief, May Rethink Over Alliance

Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai remarks have angered AIADMK, which has said unless action is taken against him, the party will "rethink the alliance".

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Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai
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AIADMK may soon end ties with BJP in Tamil Nadu following the latter’s loss in Karnataka.

AIADMK is the only ally of BJP in Tamil Nadu. 

AIADMK is already miffed by the controversial comments of state BJP chief K Annamalai.

The party has given an ultimatum to BJP, saying: "Rein him in, or else...", as per NDTV report.

Tamil Nadu LoP and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said: "A condemnation resolution has been passed against K Annamalai where he gave a statement to an English daily, tainting the name of our leader Jayalalithaa. Our party leaders and cadres are sad & restless".

The report said Annamalai, who divides his time equally between needling the DMK and AIADMK, has made a comment the ally finds it hard to overlook.

It mentioned AIADMK icon former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, he tacitly indicated in an interview with an English daily, was convicted in a disproportionate assets case.  

“Although Jayalalithaa's aide VK Sasikala and a few others were ultimately convicted by the Supreme Court in a disproportionate assets case in which the former Chief Minister was the prime accused, Jayalalithaa died before the final verdict. So while the top court's verdict nullified the favourable verdict by the Karnataka High Court, it did not convict her technically,” it stated.

The remarks have incensed the AIADMK, which has said unless action is taken against Annamalai, they will "rethink the alliance".

Senior party leader D Jayakumar has reportedly said, "Annamalai is not qualified to be a state president of a party. He should mind his words. We suspect he doesn't want the alliance to continue nor does he want Prime Minister Modi to win again".

The actions of the state BJP chief often  raises doubts in the AIADMK camp whether the former IPS officer is acting as the mouthpiece of the party's central leadership, it stated.

The AIADMK had also suffered four consecutive defeats in elections it fought with the BJP -- including Lok Sabha polls, assembly polls and local body polls.