Annamalai’s conciliatory tone augurs well for a BJP-AIADMK patch-up in Tamil Nadu 

Annamalai, who took charge of the state unit soon after the state election in 2021, was openly critical of Dravidian leaders

In the clearest indication that the BJP’s ties with its former ally in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK, are on the mend, its state president K. Annamalai has dropped his belligerent stance against AIADMK leaders and struck a conciliatory tone.

“I have nothing against any leader or any party,” he said after the AIADMK drew the attention of the national leadership of the BJP to his constant attacks on its past and present leaders.

One of the AIADMK’s preconditions for a reset in ties was reining in Annamalai, if not his removal. As rumours of his replacement as head of the state unit surfaced, Annamalai chose not to dispel these directly. “I have said that I am ready to work as a cadre,” was his line. “I did not come to politics for power. I came to create a change in Tamil Nadu politics.”

But he was not apologetic about his decision to pursue an alliance formation led by the BJP in Tamil Nadu, which stemmed from his reluctance to play second fiddle to the AIADMK. “My duty is to give accurate, perfect, and neutral feedback so that the national leaders can take the right decision and I have done that.”

While he is ready to change tack and step down from the state leadership of the BJP, Annamalai is not ready to concede that his years at the helm were a failure. The tactic of baiting the AIADMK, and ramping up the offensive against the DMK government was basically an attempt to take over the space of the main opposition in Tamil Nadu.

Annamalai, who took charge of the state unit soon after the state election in 2021, was openly critical of Dravidian leaders, including the DMK founder, former Chief Minister CN Annadurai, in whose name the AIADMK was formed, and Jayalalithaa. He even called the AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami an ‘illiterate’. A war of words followed between Annamalai and the AIADMK. The BJP had refused to rein in Annamalai at that time. An uncomfortable AIADMK chose to come out of the NDA. AIADMK‘s angst in relation to Annamalai was understandable as there was a growing resentment among its cadres against the BJP's state president.

The BJP, in Annamalai‘s view, could only grow at the expense of the AIADMK, as the polar opposite of the DMK. Such a strategy can work only over the longer term, and not within the space of two general elections. It resulted in the clean sweep of Tamil Nadu by the DMK-Congress-Left combine in last year's Lok Sabha election. Both the BJP and the AIADMK drew blank; had they been in alliance, a simple vote arithmetic would have given them at least a dozen seats.

The entrance of actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has also altered the ground situation, opening up AIADMK’s alliance options. Vijay has trained guns on the DMK and the BJP, but left the AIADMK alone. Unlike other yesteryear actor-led parties, Vijay is not averse to a coalition government. After the backing off of Rajinikanth and the utter failure of Kamal Haasan in the political arena, Vijay is more pragmatic about alliances, raising the AIADMK's hopes of striking a deal with him.

In such a situation, the AIADMK has the upper hand. Also, in the Lok Sabha election, the AIADMK fared much better than the BJP in terms of vote share, though neither won a seat. It is in this context that Mr Palaniswami met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Although Palaniswami maintained that the alliance issue was not discussed, Shah, after the meeting, expressed hope that the NDA would form the next government in Tamil Nadu, where Assembly election is due next year.

Annamalai is willing to walk back on his criticism of AIADMK icons, past and present. But whether under his leadership the BJP can work harmoniously with the AIADMK is open to question. Also, at a time when the BJP is facing threats to its dominance in the Hindi heartland, the last thing its national leadership wants is a weakening of the NDA in the south.