AMN /CHENNAI
Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK on Sunday declared that Edappadi K Palaniswami will be the Chief Ministerial face of the alliance for the 2021 assembly elections, while making it clear to its allies, including BJP, that there was no chance of a coalition government.
At the launch of the AIADMK’s campaign for the assembly elections due in the first half of 2021, AIADMK deputy coordinator K P Munusamy launched a veiled attack on the BJP by alleging that a few national parties were trying to “discredit” the 50-year rule by Dravidian parties, after the death of veterans M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa.
The BJP will have to endorse Chief Minister K Palaniswami’s candidature and agree to the other terms — like non-participation in government — and if not, should rethink its 2021 electoral options, the AIADMK indicated.
Referring to the deaths of AIADMK’s top leader J Jayalalithaa and DMK’s M Karunanidhi, senior leader and AIADMK Deputy Coordinator KP Munusamy said that in the absence of such leaders, “many” parties were now trying to make a political entry into Tamil Nadu.
All the forces eying political gains should realise that Tamil Nadu would not endorse them as the Dravidian ideology is the bedrock of the state’s social and cultural milieu, he said, without naming the BJP.
Tamil Nadu’s socio-political landscape was nurtured by the Dravidian movement, which was built on the ethos of Tamil culture, language and valour and hence the state was entirely different from the rest of the country, Mr Munusamy said.
He made the remarks in the presence of Chief Minister K Palaniswami, deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and other senior leaders.
BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar had, during his recent visit to Chennai, refused to answer the CM candidate question. Earlier, Fisheries Minister Jayakumar gave the welcome speech and highlighted the work done by AIADMK’s women’s wing.
The three-hour meeting ended with Electricity and Prohibition Minister Thangamani’s vote of thanks in which he praised EPS and called OPS ‘a man of patience’ and ‘a man with a pleasant smile’.