When an AIADMK delegation led by former chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi late last month, political circles were abuzz with speculation that the half-a-century old Dravidian party was about to resolve differences with the BJP and cement an electoral alliance. The AIADMK was clearly on the back foot, as Palaniswami, who once said that state BJP chief K. Annamalai would have no role in deciding on the alliance, had to seek Annamalai’s help to meet Shah.
“There is no rift,” said Palaniswami, coming out of the meeting. The reconciliation happened as the BJP realised that defeating the DMK alliance, which polled 52 per cent of the votes in 2021, was not an easy task. BJP strategists believe that the only viable way forward for the party is to split the pro-DMK votes or to consolidate the anti-DMK votes. With the DMK alliance staying strong and minority voters siding with it, splitting the vote bank may not be possible in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. So the BJP has chosen to repair its frayed ties with the AIADMK and consolidate the joint vote bank.
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