NDA meeting: E Palaniswami with PM Modi at the NDA meeting in Delhi on Tuesday (File)
A day after the meeting of over 36 allies of the National Democratic Alliance, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary E Palaniswami said his party was part of the NDA because "it was in the interest of the nation," but in the state it will continue to lead the alliance that has the BJP as a junior partner.
Mr Palaniswami is learnt to have had a cordial engagement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday throughout the NDA meeting. While he was seen sitting next to the PM and also standing next to the BJP president JP Nadda to welcome the PM, he was also asked to endorse the resolution passed at the meeting.
Throughout the meeting, Mr Palaniswami and the PM and other senior leaders of the party engaged at various points, a senior functionary said, adding that to address the language problem, at least one minister chipped in to ensure the interactions of Mr Palanisamy with the others went well.
Speaking to the media in the morning at the yet-to-be-opened AIADMK office in the national capital, Mr Palaniswami said the alliance in Tamil Nadu with BJP will be led by AIADMK, and parties must think of 2024, and work together towards optimising the chances of NDA. Mr Palanisamy lauded the PM for leading the country out of the Covid-19 crisis and also for not letting its economy collapse.
This comes at a time when the state unit of the BJP led by K Annamalai and EPS-led AIADMK have had several run-ins in the last few months with the former asserting itself. Mr Palaniswami himself had raised concerns over Annamalai's statement of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's alleged corruption.
A senior functionary of the party said the AIADMK which was represented by EPS and Thambidurai at the meeting has stressed "cohesion and coordination" between the two parties in the run-up to 2024.
Political parties of Tamil Nadu had a prominent place in the NDA meeting, as parties and outfits such as PMK, TMC, PT, IMKMK, IJK, NJP, and TMMK attended the meeting. The 39 Lok Sabha seats of Tamil Nadu that were largely swept by the DMK in 2019 are critical to the BJP as it pushes for southward expansion, with cultural outreach such as Kashi Tamil Sangamam, honouring the sengol and also reaching out to the Saivite mutts of the state and also the smaller parties. In the recent south zone meeting of the BJP attended by top leaders of the State, specific focus was placed on "micro-management" of booths and working for victory on every booth on every seat.
"As far as our alliance is concerned, we function democratically. The parties that are in the DMK-led alliance are like slaves. Each party in our alliance is unique. Each wants to serve people and also grow. That's not the case with parties in the DMK-led alliance as they work for the DMK to come to power," said Mr Palaniswami.
Mr Palaniswami said PM Modi has made India proud on the world stage, and in the past nine years, the NDA, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ruled well and gave good governance. "The NDA is doing well based on what the youth need today. NDA will win 330 seats in the upcoming parliamentary elections. We need to think about 2024 and that should be the focus," he said.
Soon after the visuals of the meeting were released, many supporters of AIADMK said it was time for the "state unit to cooperate with the AIADMK and not work separately, specifically if they want NDA to win in 2024."
"We made sure cohesion and coordination is the only way forward. We are also aware that BJP as a party wants to grow and Annamalai has support from the party too. But this is the time to be practical. AIADMK is a grass-roots party. We have a strong voter base and we have a presence in every Kilaikalagam (smallest unit of party organisation). We have already begun a massive membership drive and we will reach 1.3 crore members soon. BJP, particularly the State unit has to acknowledge our strengths and respect that," a senior functionary said, adding that to optimise on the dissatisfaction against DMK that is setting in and to counter schemes such as Rs 1000 for women monthly, AIADMK and BJP have to strengthen the perception about being in a stable alliance.
NDA for national, but in state, AIADMK will lead alliance
Mr Palaniswami also made it clear that as far as the state was concerned, it was AIADMK that would be the leader.
"As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, this alliance is led by the AIADMK. We chose the NDA for the nation. In Tamil Nadu, we are the leader of the alliance. We should think about 2024 and the state. Parties should work together. Coalition with other parties will be formed according to the situation with those parties who have alignment with us," he said, adding that from the times of party founder MG Ramachandran and to that of J Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK struck alliances with like-minded parties and won the elections, and they would continue to do the same.
In NDA, due respect has been given to all without discrimination of small parties or big parties, Mr Palaniswami said. He attacked the DMK and the united opposition, and their attempts to foster a front against the BJP. At least two ministers are facing action by the Enforcement Directorate on corruption charges. "Leaders of the united opposition are under the lens of the ED and the CBI. They have no right to talk about us, he said.