An Eerie Silence at the Top Over AIADMK Split From BJP-NDA

The day after the AIADMK and the BJP that faced the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly elections together as NDA partners parted ways on Monday, an eerie silence gripped the top echelons of all political parties though the grassroots saw some flutter with the appearance of wall posters in Madurai and many others taking to social media platforms to express views.

While one of the posters hailed AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami as the ‘King Maker’ and said that he would sweep all the 40 constituencies in 2024, another poster by a BJP district office-bearer deprecated the AIADMK, saying that its support was not required.

‘When saffron forces with fighting qualities are around, people are there to uphold Sanathanam and tiger-like leaders to lead what is the need of Pulikesi,’ the poster read. Pulikesi refers to the comic king character in the film ‘Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikesi’ featuring popular Tamil comedy actor Vadivelu.

Social media saw no serious supporters of both the parties commenting on the split on Tuesday, though grassroots workers of both the parties were happy that they did not have to carry the baggage anymore. For AIADMK workers, BJP in the alliance put them in a tricky situation while seeking the support of many of its traditional supporters, particularly from the minority communities.

For the BJP workers, going it alone, perhaps along with a few minor allies, would help them assess their present support base and device strategies accordingly for the 2026 Assembly elections, in which they aspire to enter the Assembly in large numbers.

Grassroots workers of both the parties were not comfortable with each other as they did not anyway share any ideological moorings or have a common purpose. So they would like to plough their own furrows without the company of the other.

However, the top honchos of both the parties are said to be waiting to reinforce their separate coalitions in the days to come. One such leader, Poovai Jaganmurthy, heading a party called Puratchi Bharatam, pledged his support to Palaniswami, implying that he would not move to the BJP side.

Another leader, John Pandian of Tamilaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, only disapproved of the split, saying that the differences could not have been resolved through talks between the AIADMK and BJP.

Sources in the BJP said that their State President K Annamalai, who has refused to comment on the AIADMK walking out of the alliance, would meet top national leaders after taking a break from his yatra and then build up the coalition with the help of the small parties that might rally around him.

Dispelling the speculation that the split between AIADMK and BJP might trigger a reorganization of parties with some from the DMK camp could drift away, a VCK leader Vanniarasu said that his party would stay put in the same political camp.  

Top leaders of other parties did not react to the split though some independent social media commentators suspected the whole thing to be a farce aimed at fighting the elections separately and then coming together after winning the elections.