SP Velumani, a prominent AIADMK leader and former minister, has attributed the split between the AIADMK and the BJP in Tamil Nadu to the actions of state BJP President K Annamalai.
The AIADMK ended its alliance with the BJP in September 2023 due to disagreements with Annamalai. Velumani, who is known for his close association with AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), stated on Thursday that if the AIADMK and BJP had remained united, they could have secured at least 35 seats in the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu.
"It was Annamalai who spoke too much, not us. He was the reason for withdrawing from the alliance," Velumani said.
"If the BJP had been in alliance with us, the combine could have won 30-35 seats," he added.
"Annamalai's excessive statements caused the rift, not us. He is responsible for the alliance breakdown," Velumani remarked, asserting that the coalition could have won 30-35 seats had the partnership continued.
Velumani said that there was no such problem during the tenure of previous BJP state presidents, Tamilisai Soundararajan and L Murugan. Velumani blamed Annamalai for the worsening of the relations between the two parties.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, both the AIADMK and the BJP failed to win any seats in Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK has registered back-to-back victories in the 2011 and 2016 Assembly elections.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the AIADMK garnered a 33.29% vote share, which has since declined to around 23%.
Velumani also pointed out that the BJP managed to win four Assembly seats in the 2021 elections due to their alliance with the AIADMK. He claimed that Annamalai received fewer votes than previous BJP leader C P Radhakrishnan in past elections.
Read Also | BJP filling Hindutva void created by Jayalalithaa's demise, Claims Annamalai
