Annamalai Comes Down Heavily On DMK And AIADMK Days After Speculation Over DMK-BJP Alliance

In a speech in Chennai on 25 August, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Annamalai strongly criticised the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) as well as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

The timing of the speech is significant as it comes days after speculation that the DMK and the BJP are considering an alliance like in 1999.

The speculation began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised former chief minister M Karunanidhi on launching a commemoratory coin as part of his centenary celebrations.

AIADMK functionaries and their supporters drove a lot of the speculation. Palaniswami himself alleged that the DMK and the BJP were in a secret alliance.

Making it clear that there would be no alliance with the DMK, Annamalai said that its misgovernance had made the state lose its position as the second-largest economy and that it would be soon overtaken by Karnataka.

"While other smaller states are working with a vision for the next 25 years, the Tamil Nadu government is working for the benefit of just one family," he added.

Speaking about the AIADMK, he said, “If the BJP has to gain power in Tamil Nadu, it has to stand on its own strength. Both DMK and AIADMK are political adversaries in the state. DMK is an evil force while the AIADMK under Edappadi K Palaniswami’s leadership has become a bidding agent waiting for the highest bid. AIADMK has lost the individuality it had during the times of leaders like MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.”

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