The Shah factor and changing matrix in TN
Union Home Minister Amit Shah heaped praise on Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami’s governance and his efficient handling of the Covid crisis in the state during his recent visit to Chennai, ushering in a fresh wave of bonhomie between the NDA constituents, the BJP and the AIADMK.
Though Shah was invited to inaugurate a number of infrastructure projects in the state, the event itself had all the trappings of a curtain-raiser to the 2021 Assembly elections, with the AIADMK’s surprise announcement that it will ally with the BJP at the hustings. Shah’s subsequent call to the people of TN to choose between “development and dynasty” added to the momentum, giving the NDA the first-mover’s advantage. His statement gained even more importance, given the parallel narrative of the other Dravidian major, the DMK.
The Opposition party’s anointed political scion, Udhayanidhi Stalin, kick-started a 100-day poll campaign at grandfather M Karunanidhi’s home town of Thirukkuvalai. So Shah’s intended dynasty barb was also reflective of the unease among a section of DMK leaders of a possible strategy to catapult Udhayanidhi as the face of the party. Earlier in the day, Shah got a rapturous welcome at the airport with flag-waving AIADMK and BJP cadre cheering him, prompting the visibly pleased leader to step out of his car and walk a short distance, acknowledging the greetings.
Shah also had strategy sessions with senior BJP and RSS leaders in the wake of the impending release from jail of V K Sasikala, close confidant of the late CM J Jayalalithaa. She has already deposited the `10 crore penalty imposed by a Bengaluru court to expedite her release. Also M K Alagiri, the estranged son of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, appears to be headed towards the BJP, with his loyalist K P Ramalingam already joining the party.
Actor Rajinikanth, too, is a factor, though he is yet to play his hand. While there is some noise on seat-sharing within the NDA, it will all depend on how the Sasikala, Alagiri and Rajini cards play out in the next few months. The state BJP chief’s Vel Yatra is already becoming a prominent vehicle for the party’s entry into the Dravidian den. The churn has begun.