Back in the BJP-led NDA, the AIADMK under former Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), will lead the combine and take on the ruling DMK in the assembly election early next year, BJP stalwart and Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday.
“It is EPS who will lead the NDA in Tamil Nadu,” he said in response to a question at a press conference in the evening before concluding his two-day visit.
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In the backdrop of the NDA banner, Shah addressed the media flanked by EPS and two other former AIADMK ministers, SP Velumani and KP Munusamy on one side and outgoing BJP state president K Annamalai and state president designate Nainar Nagendran on the other side.
“Elections at the national level are fought under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and the state election in Tamil Nadu under EPS,” he clarified further. TO a question on the demands of the AIADMK for returning to the NDA fold, Shah replied in the negative saying, “AIADMK has not set any demands or conditions. We too will not interfere in the internal affairs of the AIADMK. The revival of the alliance is for the benefit of the AIADMK as well as the NDA.”
With Shah clearing the air on who will lead the NDA in the assembly poll, he had ensured the return of the Dravidian major into the saffron combine. However, other potential NDA allies like the OBC Vanniyar-dominant PMK or the DMDK of Premalatha Vijayakanth have given a miss, making it an unfinished job as of now.
For, the PMK had made it clear that it is not in a tearing hurry to decide on the alliance issue.
“It will be decided by the PMK Executive Committee by the year end,” PMK founder S Ramadoss had said the other day before Shah could land in Chennai. Making things difficult, Ramadoss had taken over the reins of the party, demoting his son and former Union Minister Anbumani as working president from the post of president. Neither the DMDK is very eager to jump into the NDA bandwagon.
Launching a scathing attack on the DMK, the BJP veteran accused the Stalin government of steeped in corruption with deteriorating law and order situation.
“Besides the liquor scam (TASMAC scam) to the tune of Rs 39000 crore, there are the ELCOT scam, sand mining scam, transport scam and money laundering scam. The government is answerable and people of Tamil Nadu are asking questions at Stalin and his son and Deputy CM, Udhayanidhi,” he alleged and expressed confidence at the NDA securing a landslide victory in the assembly elections.
