AIADMK general secretary E. Palaniswami on Wednesday officially ruled out any talks of alliance with the BJP, but sources said the meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah the previous evening was positive, with the AIADMK laying out its basic conditions.Speaking to reporters at the Delhi airport on his way back to Chennai, Palaniswami said he had met Shah to discuss issues related to Tamil Nadu. “There were no talks related to alliance. The elections are still a year away, and there is no need to discuss alliances as of now, as it will change according to the situation,” he said.However, both AIADMK and BJP sources said the talks were focused on an alliance for the 2026 assembly elections, with Palaniswami telling Shah that the chief ministerial candidate should be from the AIADMK, his party will have the final say on alliance decisions, and the BJP should not interfere in the party’s internal affairs.Sources said another serious issue with the AIADMK, the BJP’s support to its rebel leaders TTV Dhinakaran and O. Panneerselvam, was not raised on Tuesday night. They, however, said the AIADMK had earlier conveyed to the BJP that the two rebel leaders could be accommodated in the NDA, but the AIADMK should not be asked to take them back. The AIADMK’s ‘conditions’ for the BJP include one of its workers becoming the chief minister.The AIADMK’s condition that the BJP not interfere in its affairs is interesting, because after J. Jayalalithaa’s demise, when the AIADMK was weak, it was believed that the BJP interfered in its functioning, leading to a split in the party.A senior AIADMK leader familiar with the talks confirmed that the focus of their attack on the DMK government will be “financial allegations,” corruption charges, and “lapses in governance.” More rounds of talks are expected in the coming days to understand the nuances of the AIADMK-BJP arrangement.”Delhi is keeping an eye on the DMK’s financial operations. We will also share additional information on this with Delhi,” the AIADMK leader said.The leader admitted that they may face difficulties. “There is no doubt that the arithmetic of the AIADMK-BJP alliance remains strong. But the chemistry between the two parties remains a serious question, especially when compared with the relative harmony within the DMK-led alliance,” the leader said.On his arrival at the Chennai airport, Palaniswami asserted that the AIADMK’s focus was on “governance” and said his discussions with Shah were limited to a few issues. Talking on this topic, Shrutika Jain, a political analyst at Bluekraft, said, “Elections in India have always been interesting, and they have taken unexpected turns at the eve of the oath-swearing ceremony. Indian political history has seen the formation of numerous coalition governments at the state and center, but unclear terms of coalition have often resulted in the dissolution of government. Hence it would be wise on the part of both the parties to decide clear terms of collation if both want to join hands in the upcoming Tamil Nadu election. AIDMK and BJP should not shy away from the alliance talk.”
Reporting for True to Life News Media Pvt Ltd