<p>Chennai: Amid a visible strain in the ties between the two parties, AIADMK general secretary <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/edappadi-k-palaniswami">Edappadi K Palaniswami</a> will on Tuesday meet Union Home Minister and BJP’s master strategist <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/amit-shah">Amit Shah</a> in New Delhi. This is the first time that Palaniswami and Shah will meet after they jointly announced the revival of the AIADMK-BJP alliance for the 2026 assembly polls in April this year. </p><p>During the meeting, which is keenly watched in political circles, EPS is expected to convey his displeasure to Shah over the BJP entertaining the calls for unification of the AIADMK, especially the preference given to senior leader K A Sengottaiyan after he was stripped of his party posts for setting a deadline for the leadership on bringing back expelled leaders. </p><p>Last week, Shah embarrassed Palaniswami by hosting Sengottaiyan, causing yet another strain in the AIADMK-BJP relationship. EPS is opposed to inducting expelled leaders such as V K Sasikala, O Panneerselvam, and T T V Dhinakaran into the party. However, the calls to take them back have been growing in the past few weeks. </p>.AIADMK is strong, what Palaniswami says on party matters, says BJP Tamil Nadu chief.<p>Palaniswami’s meeting with Shah also comes close on the heels of T T V Dhinakaran walking out of the NDA, blaming EPS’s rigidity in accommodating his party in the alliance.</p><p>The former chief minister also set the stage for his meeting with Shah on Monday evening when he told reporters in Chennai before leaving for New Delhi that there was no question of inducting leaders who either left the party or were expelled from it. “I am very clear on this. The AIADMK is united,” he added. </p><p>Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman meeting Sengottaiyan, which was kept secret until it was revealed by the AIADMK leader, has not gone down well with the Dravidian party, which feels the development questions the leadership of Palaniswami and his decisions.</p><p>“This will be an important meeting. EPS will stress the need for unity in the alliance while asking for a free hand. He is also expected to tell Shah that accommodating the expelled leaders or keeping them out is an internal matter of the AIADMK, implying that BJP shouldn’t interfere,” a source told <em>DH</em>.</p><p>Palaniswami, in the last week, has come under pressure from his party to speak against Sengottaiyan for discussing internal party affairs with leaders of the alliance party. Many even believe that BJP has given on a platter an opportunity to walk out of the alliance and Palaniswami should just seize the moment and act accordingly.</p><p>However, the source added that Palaniswami won’t act in haste vis-à-vis the alliance with BJP but will assert his authority. </p>
<p>Chennai: Amid a visible strain in the ties between the two parties, AIADMK general secretary <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/edappadi-k-palaniswami">Edappadi K Palaniswami</a> will on Tuesday meet Union Home Minister and BJP’s master strategist <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/amit-shah">Amit Shah</a> in New Delhi. This is the first time that Palaniswami and Shah will meet after they jointly announced the revival of the AIADMK-BJP alliance for the 2026 assembly polls in April this year. </p><p>During the meeting, which is keenly watched in political circles, EPS is expected to convey his displeasure to Shah over the BJP entertaining the calls for unification of the AIADMK, especially the preference given to senior leader K A Sengottaiyan after he was stripped of his party posts for setting a deadline for the leadership on bringing back expelled leaders. </p><p>Last week, Shah embarrassed Palaniswami by hosting Sengottaiyan, causing yet another strain in the AIADMK-BJP relationship. EPS is opposed to inducting expelled leaders such as V K Sasikala, O Panneerselvam, and T T V Dhinakaran into the party. However, the calls to take them back have been growing in the past few weeks. </p>.AIADMK is strong, what Palaniswami says on party matters, says BJP Tamil Nadu chief.<p>Palaniswami’s meeting with Shah also comes close on the heels of T T V Dhinakaran walking out of the NDA, blaming EPS’s rigidity in accommodating his party in the alliance.</p><p>The former chief minister also set the stage for his meeting with Shah on Monday evening when he told reporters in Chennai before leaving for New Delhi that there was no question of inducting leaders who either left the party or were expelled from it. “I am very clear on this. The AIADMK is united,” he added. </p><p>Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman meeting Sengottaiyan, which was kept secret until it was revealed by the AIADMK leader, has not gone down well with the Dravidian party, which feels the development questions the leadership of Palaniswami and his decisions.</p><p>“This will be an important meeting. EPS will stress the need for unity in the alliance while asking for a free hand. He is also expected to tell Shah that accommodating the expelled leaders or keeping them out is an internal matter of the AIADMK, implying that BJP shouldn’t interfere,” a source told <em>DH</em>.</p><p>Palaniswami, in the last week, has come under pressure from his party to speak against Sengottaiyan for discussing internal party affairs with leaders of the alliance party. Many even believe that BJP has given on a platter an opportunity to walk out of the alliance and Palaniswami should just seize the moment and act accordingly.</p><p>However, the source added that Palaniswami won’t act in haste vis-à-vis the alliance with BJP but will assert his authority. </p>