AIADMK cuts ties with BJP-led NDA alliance, to lead separate front in '24

Chennai: The AIADMK dissolved its four-year-old alliance with the BJP thereby cutting ties with National Democratic Alliance NDA on Monday. The party said it would lead a separate front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The decision to break away from the NDA was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami at the AIADMK headquarters here.

The decision was met with cheers from the Dravidian party workers who burst crackers outside the headquarters here.

The move to call it quits comes days after senior AIADMK leaders called on BJP chief J P Nadda in New Delhi and apprised him about the ground situation in the state arising out of the saffron party's Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai's aggressive style of politics.

They had then sought Annamalai's apology for making a remark on Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai or that he be replaced.

Briefing reporters on today's deliberations, former minister and senior leader K P Munusamy said the party has unanimously adopted a resolution to part ways with the NDA and steer a combine of like-minded parties in next year's polls.

The resolution, though did not name anyone individually for the souring of ties, blamed the BJP's "state leadership," a pointer to Annamalai.

With an ulterior motive, the AIADMK said the BJP's state leadership deliberately defamed Annadurai and late party matriarch J Jayalalithaa and incumbent chief Palaniswami.

The BJP has also has been critical of its policies and "belittled" the August 20, 2023 Madurai conference of the party.

Such slanderous, wanton criticism aimed at the AIADMK has been going on for the past about one year and it led to deep resentment and outrage among the cadres and office-bearers, the resolution said.

Top party office-bearers, district secretaries and MLAs and MPs took part in the AIADMK's consultative meet to decide on its ties with the BJP-led NDA.

Amid bursting of crackers at the party headquarters here, Munsamy said the unanimous decision honours the sentiments and aspirations of over two crore party workers.

While the AIADMK cadres celebrated the decision with bursting of crackers, the official party handle and supporters posted messages on X with the hashtag "#Nandri_Meendum Varatheergal (Thank you please do not come again)," seen as a snub to the BJP.

Incidentally, senior leader D Jayakumar had last week called off the alliance with BJP , saying he was conveying the party's stand.

(With PTI inputs)