A Bharat Ratna for Pasumpon Muthuramalinga, freedom fighter and Thevar community icon, and expedition of corruption cases – specifically those related to the alleged TASMAC liquor scam, sand mining, and drugs – against the ruling DMK were among the points raised by AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami in a 25-minute meet with Home Minister Amit Shah this morning.
Sources told the agenda was to ‘strengthen the National Democratic Alliance’ ahead of next year’s Tamil Nadu Assembly election. A significant aspect of that discussion point, sources said, was EPS’ reminder to not antagonise the AIADMK by demanding the return of expelled leaders; this, he is understood to have told Mr Shah, will not augur well for the alliance.
EPS – battling discontent in the AIADMK over the expulsion of veteran KA Sengottaiyan last week – was told to ‘take decisions suited to the interests of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
The apparent free hand to EPS has been seen as underlining the BJP’s investment in its renewed alliance with the AIADMK, particularly amid whispers the national party is pushing for previously exiled leaders, including former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam or OPS, Sasikala, and TTV Dhinakaran, to be brought back to reinforce the cadre and support base before the election.
Mr Sengottaiyan had led those calls, arguing it is necessary for the AIADMK to win the poll.
However, the return of these leaders is also being seen as a challenge to EPS’ leadership. Last week Mr Dhinakaran – expelled in 2017 during the power struggle after J Jayalalithaa’s death – said he would only return if EPS were removed as the AIADMK-BJP chief ministerial face.
And the BJP’s new Tamil Nadu unit chief, Nainar Nagendran, had said he is “willing to negotiate” with the expelled leaders to bring them back into the fold.
Mr Palaniswami, however, has taken a hard line against dissident voices inside and outside the party; on Monday he accused all three – i.e., OPS, Sasikala, and TTV Dhinakaran – of ‘betrayal’.
“There is no place for those who make useless talk. Whoever attempts to betray the party will be left standing on the road… even God will not forgive betrayers. They will be isolated,” he said.
A senior AIADMK leader told news agency PTI the party rank-and-file is behind EPS.
In April the AIADMK and BJP re-formed their alliance. They had contested the 2019 federal and 2021 state polls together but failed to win either. After that they broke up in 2023, a split fuelled also by snide attacks on AIADMK icons by K Annamlai, then the BJP’s state unit boss.
When the two re-allied in April, Amit Shah insisted the AIADMK had made no demands.
Meanwhile, EPS, who is accompanied by a small delegation, last night also called on newly-elected Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, who was the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit chief from 2003 to 2006. His elevation as Vice President was a matter of great pride for Tamil Nadu, Mr Palaniswami said.
