Tamil Nadus All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) broke ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), just months before the parliamentary election.Amid a row over comments by the BJPs state president, K Annamalai. The AIADMK had accused the BJP leader of deliberately defaming its leaders.The break-up between the parties was announced by AIADMK Deputy General Secretary KP Munusamy after a resolution was passed in Chennai, at a meeting of MPs, MLAs, and district heads.Chennai, Tamil Nadu | K P Munusamy, AIADMK Deputy Coordinator says, AIADMK unanimously passed a resolution in the meeting. AIADMK is breaking all ties with BJP and NDA alliance from today. The state leadership of the BJP has been continuously making unnecessary remarks about our… pic.twitter.com/HSx3NJKKOJ— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2023KP Munusamy said, “AIADMK is breaking all ties with BJP and NDA from today. State leadership of BJP has been making unnecessary remarks about our former leaders for past year, The AIADMK will fight the 2024 election with its allies”.AIAMK spokesperson Sasirekha said, “Based on members opinion we are taking this resolution. This is the happiest moment. We are very happy to face the upcoming elections, whether Parliamentary or Assembly”.AIADMK Spokesperson Sasirekha, …Based on the members opinion we are taking this resolution… This is the happiest moment for AIADMK. We are very happy to face the upcoming elections whether it might be Parliament or Assembly elections… https://t.co/GiNZLJsRR7 pic.twitter.com/wkwn2QYNEI— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2023After the announcement, the party workers burst firecrackers and distributed sweets to celebrate.#WATCH | Tamil Nadu | AIADMK workers burst crackers in Chennai after the party announces breaking of all ties with BJP and NDA from today. pic.twitter.com/k4UXpuoJhj— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2023BJPs reaction to the announcementSo far, K. Annamalai has refused to comment on this matter. He told reporters, “I will speak with you later, I wont speak during the yatra, I will speak later”. The BJP leaders en mann en makkal foot march will end in Coimbatore on Thursday.#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: BJP state President K Annamalai attends padayatra in Coimbatore North Assembly. pic.twitter.com/4PUiwyfJZT— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2023Earlier, Annamalai refused to back down. He clarified that what he had said was part of history and necessary to be understood in the context of a row over Tamil Nadus sports minister Udhayanidhi Stalins remark on Sanatan Dharm.The BJPs state president had been critical of the late former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who held an iconic figure within the AIADMK. At the time, the party had demanded the state BJP chief be within his limit, Mr. Annamalai frequently needles the DMK, which is his partys ally and their joint rival.#WATCH | On AIADMK ending the alliance with BJP and NDA, BJP Leader CT Ravi says, Eight months are left and what will happen in these months, we cant say anything today. To make the party strong is the duty of every worker. Under the leadership of K Annamalai a great work of… pic.twitter.com/tHmRxhOTGd— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2023His comments led to speculation the BJP is trying to build space for itself before next years election in Tamil Nadu where BJP has failed to make any impact in any election.Differences since inception of tiesThe BJP has had good relations with the AIADMK but has usually never been on the same side of the page, Jayalalithaa never actually formed a formal alliance with them when she was in power because she believed it could not be suitable for the political landscape for a state which is dominated by Dravidian ideologies.The AIADMK has lost every election after tying knots with the BJP, including the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly polls, prompting it to check its strategy which saw the BJP as a liability ahead of the 2024 election.In the 2021 assembly elections, the AIADMK won just 75 seats down from 136 five years earlier and similarly, in parliamentary elections, it went from 37 seats to just one while the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) went from 0 to 39.
