Tamilisai Soundararajan, the former Governor of Telangana and former Chief of the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP, expressed agreement with the assertion made by former Cabinet minister S.P. Velumani of the AIADMK. Velumani stated that a coalition between the BJP and AIADMK could potentially secure 35 out of 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu.
Soundararajan said "the statement of S.P. Velumani was correct, and an alliance of AIADMK and BJP would have led to 35 seats".
Speaking at a press conference, Soundararajan affirmed Velumani's statement, suggesting that an alliance between the AIADMK and BJP could indeed yield significant electoral success in the state.
However, Soundararajan refrained from speculating on the possibility of an alliance for the upcoming Assembly polls in 2026. She also declined to comment on the remarks made by BJP state president K. Annamalai regarding the AIADMK.
Soundararajan emphasized that decisions regarding alliances were within the purview of the party's central leadership, indicating that neither she nor any other state leader could unilaterally determine future coalition arrangements.
In a separate statement, senior AIADMK leader S.P. Velumani attributed the dissolution of the BJP-AIADMK alliance in Tamil Nadu to K. Annamalai. Velumani accused Annamalai of disparaging renowned Dravidian leaders such as C.N. Annadurai and J. Jayalalithaa, leading to the rupture between the two parties.
Velumani underscored the amicable relationship between AIADMK and BJP during the tenures of Tamilisai Soundararajan and L. Murugan. He criticized Annamalai, labeling him as a political novice whose actions undermined the alliance.
Commenting on the developments, C. Rajeev, Director of the Centre for Policy and Development Studies, remarked that Velumani's assertion regarding the potential success of a BJP-AIADMK alliance was credible. Rajeev suggested that Annamalai would need to offer explanations to the national leadership. Soundararajan's endorsement of Velumani's statement hinted at internal discord within the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP.
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