<p>The BJP is unlikely to make any formal announcement regarding its alliance with ruling AIADMK or its chief ministerial nominee during the day-long visit of its national president J P Nadda to Tamil Nadu on January 14.</p>.<p>Nadda's visit is being watched closely in political circles with the BJP refusing to categorically announce that AIADMK's chief ministerial candidate – Edappadi K Palaniswami – will be the face of the alliance despite numerous clarifications from the Dravidian party that there was no going back on its decision.</p>.<p>AIADMK leaders – O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami – had in November announced that the party's alliance stitched with BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls will continue. However, the BJP has been side-stepping the issue, saying the national leadership will make the “formal announcement.”</p>.<p>There is an expectation that Nadda will put an end to the uncertainty surrounding the AIADMK-BJP alliance during his visit, primarily to attend the 51st annual day celebrations of <em>Tughlak</em> magazine currently edited by RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy on January 14. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was to attend the function, but he pulled out and deputed Nadda for the event.</p>.<p>Sources in the BJP told <em>DH</em> that Nadda is unlikely to meet leaders of alliance partners, including the AIADMK, during his visit on the first day of Pongal festivities in Tamil Nadu. However, Nadda will hold a closed-door meeting with members of the Core Committee of the Tamil Nadu BJP to review the election preparedness and elicit views of the office-bearers on the way forward.</p>.<p>“For now, the alliance with AIADMK stands, but we feel the political situation in the state has not evolved completely. We would like to wait for a few more weeks before formally affirming the alliance. There are a few factors that could change the political equation in the state like the release of Sasikala. And a few parties are still sitting on the wall,” a source in the know told <em>DH</em>.</p>.<p>The source added that any formal announcement regarding alliance will be made only in February after the BJP's Parliamentary board meeting, which likely to take place in the last week of January or early February. “In my opinion, any announcement on the alliance will not be made before mid-February,” the source said, adding that chances of forming an alternative front was “bleak.”</p>.<p>The BJP was hoping to align with Tamil superstar Rajinikanth's party but the actor aborted his plans, citing “poor health.” Though some in the party still hope that Rajinikanth may have a “rethink”, the actor, it is believed, is planning to fly abroad for treatment.</p>
<p>The BJP is unlikely to make any formal announcement regarding its alliance with ruling AIADMK or its chief ministerial nominee during the day-long visit of its national president J P Nadda to Tamil Nadu on January 14.</p>.<p>Nadda's visit is being watched closely in political circles with the BJP refusing to categorically announce that AIADMK's chief ministerial candidate – Edappadi K Palaniswami – will be the face of the alliance despite numerous clarifications from the Dravidian party that there was no going back on its decision.</p>.<p>AIADMK leaders – O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami – had in November announced that the party's alliance stitched with BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls will continue. However, the BJP has been side-stepping the issue, saying the national leadership will make the “formal announcement.”</p>.<p>There is an expectation that Nadda will put an end to the uncertainty surrounding the AIADMK-BJP alliance during his visit, primarily to attend the 51st annual day celebrations of <em>Tughlak</em> magazine currently edited by RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy on January 14. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was to attend the function, but he pulled out and deputed Nadda for the event.</p>.<p>Sources in the BJP told <em>DH</em> that Nadda is unlikely to meet leaders of alliance partners, including the AIADMK, during his visit on the first day of Pongal festivities in Tamil Nadu. However, Nadda will hold a closed-door meeting with members of the Core Committee of the Tamil Nadu BJP to review the election preparedness and elicit views of the office-bearers on the way forward.</p>.<p>“For now, the alliance with AIADMK stands, but we feel the political situation in the state has not evolved completely. We would like to wait for a few more weeks before formally affirming the alliance. There are a few factors that could change the political equation in the state like the release of Sasikala. And a few parties are still sitting on the wall,” a source in the know told <em>DH</em>.</p>.<p>The source added that any formal announcement regarding alliance will be made only in February after the BJP's Parliamentary board meeting, which likely to take place in the last week of January or early February. “In my opinion, any announcement on the alliance will not be made before mid-February,” the source said, adding that chances of forming an alternative front was “bleak.”</p>.<p>The BJP was hoping to align with Tamil superstar Rajinikanth's party but the actor aborted his plans, citing “poor health.” Though some in the party still hope that Rajinikanth may have a “rethink”, the actor, it is believed, is planning to fly abroad for treatment.</p>