Back from a sabbatical in UK, why Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai is likely rethinking his stand against AIADMK

When asked about a potential BJP-AIADMK alliance and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami’s recent statement that “there is no alliance with the BJP”, Annamalai told reporters on Tuesday evening, “There is enough time to take a call on the AIADMK alliance… Let’s wait and see how it evolves in 2025. We have national leaders with a national perspective… By 2025, we will get a picture… When Edappadi anna is talking about BJP on their stage, we are clear about one thing in 2026. In Tamil Nadu, the priority is to unseat the DMK. If you ask me whether we will all (including AIADMK) unite for that or expand our (NDA) broad alliance further, I would say that all these are possibilities.”

This is in stark contrast to his earlier confrontational approach, which many within the BJP blamed for the fallout with the AIADMK. Annamalai’s scathing criticisms, including attacks on AIADMK’s icons, created irreparable rifts, culminating in the two parties contesting the 2024 general elections separately after officially splitting in September 2023. The BJP failed to secure a single seat, deepening the divide.

The AIADMK wasted no time in dismissing any rapprochement between the two parties. Senior AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said, “The general secretary (Palaniswami) has made it very clear — there is no alliance with BJP.” He added pointedly, “Annamalai, your efforts to find an Eknath Shinde in the AIADMK shall not succeed. We are aware of what happened to Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. You may try your luck in the DMK.”

The quick official response to Annamalai was an example of the deep animosity between the former allies. In August 2024, AIADMK leader D Jayakumar launched a scathing attack on Annamalai, calling him a “moth and firefly” with a short political life and accusing him of being unfit to lead a political outfit.

“None can destroy the AIADMK; those who try will get destroyed,” Jayakumar said, challenging the BJP to win even a single seat on its own in the 2026 Assembly polls.

Senior BJP leaders who were against Annamalai’s earlier approach to the AIADMK admit that there was an unexpected shift in his latest, much-softened, stance. A senior leader said this follows his “three-month stint at Oxford,” where he participated in a fellowship designed to hone leadership skills.

“If you call it a U-turn, I would say that it is a U-turn after his UK trip. Maybe the sabbatical offered him a rare opportunity to reassess his political strategies away from the frenetic demands of state politics. It was about innovative thinking and strategic decision-making — qualities that may have influenced his latest statement,” said the BJP leader.

A senior RSS leader said Annamalai was either no longer so guarded or had realised the reality of the political landscape in Tamil Nadu. “What if he thinks now that repairing ties with the AIADMK might be the only viable strategy to stay relevant?” the leader said.

Adding to the BJP’s woes is the emergence of Vijay, the actor-turned-politician whose party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has shaken the state’s political landscape. Vijay’s debut rally targeted both the DMK and BJP while leaving the AIADMK unscathed, fuelling speculation of a potential alliance between the two parties. Such a partnership could marginalise the BJP further, especially if it pushes the NDA behind even filmmaker-politician Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) in terms of vote share.

“Annamalai’s initial assertiveness against the AIADMK made sense in a different context, but the rise of Vijay has changed the game,” said the RSS leader. “Vijay joining an AIADMK-led alliance is going to be a challenge for the DMK too. But if that happens, (the S Ramadoss-led Pattali Makkal Katchi) also might abandon the NDA to join the AIADMK. In that scenario, Annamalai will be left with weaker allies like O Panneerselvam and T T V Dhinakaran, who cannot make the BJP’s performance any better.”

On Tuesday, Annamalai said the BJP was expecting a vastly changed poll scenario in 2026. “Dravidian parties are unlikely to form their own government, and we have been exploring the scope of a non-Dravidian party forming the government. It remains a fact that people are aspiring for a new political culture in the state,” he said.