Tamil Nadu Polls: BJP, AIADMK Agree On Joint Campaign But Differ Over Expelled Leaders, Allies | Elections News

Last week, AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) held a detailed meeting in Delhi with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss assembly poll strategy. (X @EPSTamilNadu)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has its eyes on every single vote in Tamil Nadu and is working in “mission mode” on a strategy to prevent any split in the anti-DMK vote ahead of the assembly elections in the state scheduled for early next year.

While hurdles remain in managing ties with allies, the party is determined to ensure that the anti-DMK votes do not get divided. For this, efforts are underway to bring smaller parties under the NDA umbrella.

Last week, AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) held a detailed meeting in Delhi with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss assembly poll strategy and the issue of re-inducting expelled leaders into AIADMK.

According to AIADMK sources, EPS conveyed to Shah that the BJP should not back the return of expelled AIADMK leaders, warning it could affect alliance unity. Both sides, however, agreed to launch a joint campaign from next month, taking on the DMK government on key issues. The matter of re-entry for expelled AIADMK leaders remains unresolved for now.

Sources say the BJP is keen to accommodate former deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam (OPS), and he may formally join the BJP by late December or January—a move AIADMK may resist. On the other hand, EPS is pushing for Tamil superstar Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), to be brought into the NDA. AIADMK believes Vijay, who belongs to the Pillai community, could help draw in backward caste votes. The BJP, however, is hesitant, viewing Vijay more as a vote-cutter for the DMK than an ally.

As per the internal reports of the party, Vijay seems to be claiming a percentage of votes close to the DMK’s current share.

The party top brass has asked EPS to keep a close watch on Vijay’s rally so that a further strategy can be devised accordingly.

Differences also persist over TTV Dhinakaran and the PMK. The PMK was part of the NDA last time, but this time, equations are uncertain. BJP strategists believe that if EPS refuses to take Dhinakaran back into AIADMK, his party could instead be added to the NDA fold. They argue that Dhinakaran, who belongs to the Thevar community, could strengthen the alliance. As for his aunt VK Sasikala, once Jayalalithaa’s close aide, there is speculation that she might campaign for the NDA and seek some political adjustment during the assembly polls.

The BJP top brass is said to have conveyed to EPS that they should reach out to the older allies, including PMK, which is embroiled in an internal fight right now, with Ramadoss Senior pitted against his son.

BJP strategists believe that by bringing smaller parties on board, the BJP can not only consolidate anti-incumbency votes but also strengthen the NDA. However, before expanding the alliance, convincing the AIADMK remains a challenge. The BJP leadership hopes that closer to the elections, the AIADMK will set aside old grievances and adjust to the new equations required for electoral success.

The 2021 assembly election was the first in Tamil Nadu after the passing of two political giants—Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi. In that election, the DMK-led alliance won decisively, securing 159 out of 234 seats (133 by the DMK alone), while the NDA managed 75 seats (66 by AIADMK). The vote share gap between the two alliances was around 6 per cent.