When the BJP says it wants a strong AIADMK, does it mean the party, or the leader?

Speaking to South First, CT Ravi, the BJP’s in-charge for Tamil Nadu, emphasised that his party’s understanding is with the entity called the AIADMK, and not any individual.

“It is very unfortunate that the party has split. But it is an internal issue of the AIADMK, which we are sure the party will resolve soon. We are allies of the AIADMK and stand with the party as a whole. Our priority is to keep working and strengthening the BJP at the grassroots level in Tamil Nadu,” Ravi said.

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and BJP Tamil Nadu chief Annamalai with Prime Minister Modi at the farewell dinner for then President Ram Nath Kovind (Twitter/annamalai_k)

After the demise of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, the BJP, which has often been playing the role of Big Brother, has tried to ensure that the AIADMK is a united house — so that the alliance is stronger.

The saffron party was keen on bringing VK Sasikala, expelled general secretary of the AIADMK, and TTV Dhinakaran, chief of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and Sasikala’s nephew, into the AIADMK-led alliance ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.

Sources both in the AIADMK and BJP confirmed that the latter wanted Sasikala and Dhinakaran in the alliance as it would have prevented division of votes — especially in the southern parts of the state where the two enjoy considerable support owing to the Thevar caste factor.

However, EPS, who has been strongly opposing the re-induction of Sasikala and Dhinakaran into the AIADMK, put his foot down and resisted the idea.

BJP wants ‘weaker leader, stronger AIADMK’

Most political observers in Tamil Nadu are certain that the BJP’s aim in Tamil Nadu is to grow at the expense of the AIADMK. Many also point out that what the BJP means by a strong AIADMK is not necessarily a strong leader at the helm of its affairs.

A poster at the AIADMK general council meeting on 11 July hailing EPS as the party’s leader (South First/Umar Sharieef)

KC Palanisamy, an expelled member of the AIADMK, tried to further simplify the BJP’s game in Tamil Nadu while speaking to South First.

“What the BJP wants for the AIADMK is a weaker leader and a stronger party,” he said.

What Palanisamy meant by a “weaker leader” is someone who would be more amenable to the BJP, someone who would toe its line. This is predominantly the reason why BJP was perceived to be softer towards OPS than EPS.

“OPS completely surrendered before the BJP. That’s why the BJP has been softer towards him. It wanted the dual leadership to continue in the AIADMK so that it could control EPS through OPS,” Palanisamy added.

Ramu Mannivanan, retired professor of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Madras, told South First that irrespective of whether it is EPS or OPS, the BJP would want to have good control over the AIADMK.

“The BJP has been backing OPS for a very long time. But now it is adopting a wait-and-watch attitude. However, one thing is clear — it doesn’t care if it is EPS or OPS. It would want control over the AIADMK. Even if the BJP hugs you, it breaks the bones,” he said.

Recent tax raids a ‘message’ to EPS

Unlike OPS, EPS has tried to resist the BJP’s plans on a few occasions.

For example, EPS stood his ground when he was the chief minister and said no to the “Vel Yatra” — a procession covering the six abodes of Lord Murugan, a popular deity in the state — proposed by the then BJP state chief L Murugan, fearing communal clashes. The Vel Yatra was an attempt by the BJP to reach out to the Hindu vote bank in Tamil Nadu.

Similarly, as mentioned earlier, EPS also stopped the BJP’s attempts towards an alliance/merger between the AIADMK and VK Sasikala’s faction.

This is mainly why the BJP sees EPS as a more assertive leader, and for this reason, political commentators in the state believe that the BJP often tries to show EPS “who the boss is”.

Even when the leadership tussle between EPS and OPS was going on recently, the Income Tax Department carried out searches at locations associated with R Chandrasekar, publisher of the AIADMK mouthpiece ‘Namadhu Amma’, and a close associate of senior party leader SP Velumani, who belongs to the EPS camp.

Cut-outs of three generations of AIADMK leaders (South First/Umar Sharieef)

Several government contractors too were raided by the I-T department over the last few days, some of whom are said to be close to a few top AIADMK leaders.

Likewise, after keeping the Gutkha scam case in cold storage for several months, the CBI has now sought sanction to prosecute former AIADMK ministers Dr C Vijayabaskar and BV Ramana, and top bureaucrats who served during the previous regime in connection with the case.

“These raids and the other recent developments are definitely a message to EPS. His faction has shown attempts to oppose the BJP. So, this is how the BJP tries to retain control,” explained retired professor Mannivanan.

‘BJP uses alliance partners as ladders’

A senior AIADMK leader who did not wish to be named told South First that they are “very cautious” about the BJP trying to gain control over the party, and not allowing EPS to function independently.

“Wherever the BJP is in a weak position, the modus operandi of the national party across the country has been to join hands with a political outfit that is stronger in that state, gradually weaken it, and sneakily use that party’s space to grow. The BJP uses alliance partners as its ladders,” the leader said.

“Though the BJP has been successful in implementing the same in other states, it will not happen in Tamil Nadu,” he added.

When asked why he thought that the BJP would not be able to succeed in the state, the senior leader pointed out how there is strong resistance to the RSS ideology in Tamil Nadu.

“The BJP and the RSS are seen as anti-Tamils, anti-Tamil language, anti-Tamil race. This is a state where the public at large has been so deeply impressed with the Dravidian ideology. The BJP cannot dream about coming to power in Tamil Nadu, irrespective of what methodology it uses,” the senior AIADMK leader explained.

Tightrope walk for EPS

For EPS, having fought a bitter leadership battle with OPS and emerging victorious, the next challenge would be to walk a tightrope as the interim general secretary of the AIADMK. EPS may not want to antagonise the BJP, yet he should be seen as maintaining an arm’s length or more from the party.

AIADMK workers with EPS posters at the party’s general council meeting in Chennai on 11 July (South First/Umar Sharieef)

This is because the AIADMK-BJP alliance has been hugely unpopular on the ground. Workers of the AIADMK and several senior leaders of the party too blame the alliance with the BJP for the party’s drubbing in recent elections.

Further, the BJP and AIADMK have been taking a diametrically opposite stand when it comes to certain key issues of Tamil Nadu, causing political embarrassment for the latter.

For example, when most of the political parties in the state have been vociferously opposing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) as the basis for admissions in medical courses, the BJP is the only major party that is advocating for it.

But can EPS fight the BJP? “He can if he wants to,” believes professor Mannivanan.

“EPS fought against Sasikala. If EPS can fight her, he can also take on the BJP, provided he is committed to fighting it,” he added.

(With inputs from Anusha Ravi Sood)