AIADMK senior leader Jayakumar, in a scathing attack on Annamalai, said he would poll fewer votes than NOTA in elections.
Edappadi K Palaniswami, K Annamalai
At a time BJP is looking to add more alliance partners in the run-up to Lok Sabha polls, the saffron party’s ally in Tamil Nadu — AIADMK — dropped a shocker on Monday, 18 September, announcing it was no longer a partner.
Following its clash with Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai in the recent past, the AIADMK — through its organisation secretary and former minister D Jayakumar — said that the BJP was not in an alliance with the AIADMK, led by Edappadi K Palaniswami.
The AIADMK leader confirmed to reporters in Chennai after the Vinayagar Chathurthi celebrations on Monday that the BJP was no more in a coalition with the regional party.
“When BJP leader Annamalai criticises our leaders, including former chief ministers Annadurai, MG Ramachandran, and Jayalalithaa, and the present general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami, how can we bear it and take the saffron party on our shoulders?” asked Jayakumar adding that Annamalai could not have continued to make such statements without the nod of BJP central leadership.
He further said, “The BJP is not a burden but useless burden.”
Lashing out at Annamalai, Jayakumar said that he was not qualified to be a politician. “He is not even fit to talk about former chief minister and Dravidian stalwart Annadurai and our other leaders. Our party has his (Annadurai) name.”
He added: “Annamalai never followed the alliance dharma. He is not qualified to be a state president of a party. He is not determined for the growth of his party. Rather, Annamalai is keen only on boosting himself as a leader. If he contests in the elections, he will get fewer votes than NOTA.”
Pointing to previous tussles between Annamalai and the AIADMK high command, Jayakumar said: “We had given him so many warnings not to speak ill of our leaders. We even brought this to the attention of the national-level BJP leaders. However, Annamalai continues to talk ill about us. It means he talks about everything only with the knowledge of the Delhi leaders. It is not necessary to carry a relationship with such a party.”
He added: “The national-level BJP leaders wish to be in an alliance with the AIADMK. But Annamalai does not wish to be with us. The Delhi leaders failed to keep Annamalai mum. Hereafter, all the AIADMK leaders will give a befitting reply to the Tamil Nadu BJP president. Why should we bear all the idiotic speeches of Annamalai for the sole reason of being in an alliance?”
He also said with an air of finality: “The BJP is not our alliance partner anymore. Our alliance will be decided during the time of elections.”
Asked whether these were his own remarks or the party’s stand, Jayakumar said: “What I am saying is on behalf of the party. All our cadres wanted the BJP out of the alliance. When a BJP leader speaks ill about our leaders, how will the grassroots cadres work together in the field?”
Jayakumar also said that there was a tolerance limit, and Annamalai was the only reason for the breaking of this alliance.
Reacting to the statement of Jayakumar, Tamil Nadu BJP vice-president Narayanan Thirupathy asked who Jayakumar was to decide on the qualification of the saffron party’s state unit president.
“We are not inclined to go on the same lines and policies of the AIADMK. What Jayakumar said today is totally wrong,” he said.
Thirupathy also said that AIADMK leaders must have trembled when they saw the support the people exhibited during Annamalai’s padayatra.
“We cannot accept other party leaders speaking nastily about our state president. We, too, have self-respect,” he said.
He added that Annamalai had never spoken ill of any leaders, and that he said whatever was in the history of the state.
Amid tussles between Annamalai and the AIADMK high command, a recent speech by the former only strained the relationship.
During his recent protest against the HR & CE Department, Annamalai said that the Dravidian stalwart Annadurai was threatened by Forward Bloc leader Pasumpon Muthuramalingam for making remarks against Hinduism at an event held at Madurai in 1956.
The remarks fuelled more fire between top AIADMK leaders and Annamalai.
Former ministers Sellur K Raju, CV Shanmugam, D Jayakumar, and other senior leaders condemned Annamalai for talking ill about the late leader.
Sellur Raju, while speaking in a public meeting, said that Annamalai’s tongue should be chopped off for speaking ill of Annadurai.
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