CHENNAI: Behind-the-screens churnings and intense speculations over the AIADMK-BJP dynamics and whether K Annamalai would remain BJP’s state president continue with Union Home Minister and BJP’s chief strategist Amit Shah’s anticipated visit to the state soon.
There were strong rumours that AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and expelled leader O Panneerselvam could separately meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Tamil Nadu on Sunday and this would offer some clarity. These rumours, as it is usually the case with rumours, did not come true. The PM’s visit neither offered any clarity on Annamalai, as expected by certain sections.
Sources close to Palaniswami in fact strongly denied that there were any efforts from his side to meet Modi. BJP sources said the PM too did not prefer to meet the leaders of any other parties, including BJP’s allies, during this visit.
Meanwhile, AIADMK’s senior leader and MLA KA Sengottaiyan, who had a friction with EPS recently, and its former MP and expelled leader KC Palanisamy, who continues to be vocal about AIADMK’s affairs, seem to have separately met Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who came to Chennai on Saturday.
Sengottaiyan did not say anything, including whether the meeting happened, but Palanisamy acknowledged meeting her. He declined to comment on what transpired when TNIE contacted, but sources close to him said he certainly discussed the issues that matter to the 2026 Assembly election.
On the Annamalai front, BJP’s state vice president VP Duraisamy, who addressed media on Sunday to condemn the manner in which DMK opposed the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Assembly, said Annamalai would continue as state president, while responding to a question. However, he immediately added a caveat that everyone will accept any decision taken by the national leadership.
When asked about Duraisamy’s view that Annamalai would stay back in his present position, a senior BJP leader said 97% of the party’s rank and file want Annamalai to continue. Acknowledging that some in the party may not want him, he said, “There is jealousy about Annamalai’s popularity. What happened when he was out of the country for three months? It was Annamalai who brought the party that stayed inside the office to the public domain. He has been keeping the party in the limelight always.”
When asked about Duraisamy’s comment, Annamalai told the media in Madurai that he had already clarified that he was not in the race for president. “Why do you drag me in again,” he asked.
Meeting with FM?
AIADMK senior leader and MLA KA Sengottaiyan, who had a friction with EPS, and its former MP and expelled leader K C Palanisamy, who is vocal about AIADMK’s affairs, seem to have separately met Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who came to Chennai on Saturday