AIADMK-BJP pact: Dissent gets louder

“The dissenting voice against an alliance with the BJP is growing louder. Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai has already made it clear with party top brass that an alliance with the BJP will affect the party prospects,” an informed senior AIADMK functionary said.

Another AIADMK MP Anwar Raja had also warned the party that an alliance with the BJP will erode the Muslim vote base enjoyed by the party, the functionary said.

“In the absence of our iconic leaders like Thalaivar MG Ramachandran and Amma (J Jayalalithaa), the party will not take any hasty decision.

Whether to align with the BJP or not will soon be taken up by the party general council,” said AIADMK presidium chairman E Madhusudhanan.

“During days of Amma and MGR we would just follow their directions, but now the party’s future must be considered. The decision will be a collective one taken by the party’s parliamentary board,” the AIADMK leader told DTNext.

The cadre and the second rung leaders are unhappy with the BJP’s governance and as far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, there is a strong anti-incumbency against the party due to GST, demonetisation, NEET and Mekedatu row, said AIADMK MGR Mandram functionary Poonga Nagar Selvam.

“We have already expressed our views to the party high command that the vote bank of AIADMK which comprises Muslim and Christian has to be protected,” he said. We will urge the party leadership to take a decision that will help us to keep the DMK under check, Selvam added.

Meanwhile, BJP state president Tamilisai Soundararajan termed the comments of Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thambidurai as his personal views and has nothing to do with the AIADMK’s stand on the BJP.

Thambidurai on Thursday said that the AIADMK will not piggyback the BJP in Tamil Nadu. Interestingly Tamilisai’s view on Thambidurai had raised the eyebrows among AIADMK party workers. It may be noted that AIADMK convenor O Panneerselvam has told media that the party will take a decision on alliance only when the poll schedule is announced.