Shah says doors open for AIADMK; BJP inducts ex-party MLAs

The Home Minister's statement has set off speculation of a rapprochement between BJP and AIADMK.

Chennai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday welcomed as many as 15 former MLAs from AIADMK into its fold, hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah was quoted as saying that his party’s doors for an alliance was “open”, setting off speculation of a rapprochement with the Dravidian outfit.

The mixed signals aptly demonstrate the confusion and differences of opinion within the BJP vis-à-vis AIADMK, which walked out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in September 2023 blaming state BJP chief K Annamalai’s consistent criticism of party veterans and ideology.

In an interview published in Daily Thanthi, a leading Tamil newspaper, Shah said the “doors for alliance” are open and that discussions are going on in this regard, in response to a question whether the BJP was mulling forming a Third Front as alliance with the AIADMK ruled out.

Shah’s statement gives credence to murmurs in the political circles that the BJP, which is trying to stitch an alliance of its own with parties like PMK, DMDK and AMMK, was still interested in a tie-up with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu to shore up the numbers for the NDA, though the state unit is opposed to an alliance with the regional outfit.

17 former MLAs from AIADMK, DMDK, and INC and a former MP from DMK were inducted into the BJP by Annamalai and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar in Delhi. “While Amit Shah has extended an olive branch to AIADMK, we see ex-MLAs from the party joining BJP. This is a mixed signal from our party, and we have to wait and watch what happens next,” a party leader told DH.

While AIADMK reacted sharply to Shah’s comments with its senior leader D Jayakumar saying that “our doors are closed”, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai said the Union Home Minister did not mention any party in specific while talking about alliance. However, Annamalai added that the BJP will welcome anyone who believes in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi into the NDA.

“I have not seen his (Shah’s interview),” AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said.

While acknowledging that the party is growing in the state, the national leadership believes it may take some more time for the BJP to win seats on its own, another leader said.

“An alliance with AIADMK will help win seats this time and the thinking is that Lok Sabha MPs from Tamil Nadu can be given berths in the Cabinet after the elections which will help in the party's future growth. But nothing is clear as of now as the state unit has also worked on the ground. It is a choice between short-term gains and long-term gains,” the second leader said.

BJP leaders believe the ‘En Mann, En Makkal’ yatra of Annamalai will result in gains for the party and an alliance with the AIADMK at this point might upset the cadre.

The speculation about bringing AIADMK onboard began after Modi told the Parliament on February 5 that the NDA will win about 400 seats. “Winning 400 seats is not possible without allies AIADMK, and TDP,” the first leader quoted above said.

BJP has been contesting elections alone in Tamil Nadu since 2006 except for 2014 Lok Sabha polls when it cobbled up a coalition with PMK and DMDK, 2019 and 2021 polls when it aligned with the AIADMK.

The AIADMK snapped ties with BJP and quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in September 2023 blaming Annamalai’s consistent attack on Dravidian legends and AIADMK’s core ideology.