AIADMK swallows bitter Amit Shah pill by backing NDA in LS

New Delhi: The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu has had to swallow a bitter pill administered by BJP National President Amit Shah just a few days ago in Chennai, by agreeing to his request to support the NDA government in the Lok Sabha today. Amit Shah had hit out at massive corruption in Tamil Nadu, a direct indictment of the AIADMK government in the State, forcing AIADMK leaders to hit back strongly at the BJP. In the last few weeks, the AIADMK has trying to maintain some distance from the BJP by questioning and opposing many of its decisions.

The no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha on July 20, 2018, could not have come at a worse time for the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK had taken a stand against the NDA government at the Centre on recent issues like UGC, NEET for Siddha, Cauvery etc., to dispel the impression that it was a blind supporter or an ally of the BJP-led NDA. The AIADMK which wanted to abstain from voting has been cornered into accepting BJP National President Amit Shah’s request to oppose the motion.

Recent trends indicated that the AIADMK did not want to be seen as an ally of the BJP to improve its image. A series of statements on various issues showed that the AIADMK Government wanted to distance itself from the BJP. Therefore, a decision seemed to have been taken two days ago that the party will abstain from voting and therefore maintain its distance from the BJP.

However, when Amit Shah called up O Panneerselvam and sought the support of the AIADMK (since the BJP wanted to show that it had huge support in the Lok Sabha), it was difficult for OPS to turn him down. Thereafter, he must have discussed the Amit Shah request and the AIADMK top leadership (read OPS and chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami) decided to support the government.

The decision by the AIADMK top leadership has not gone down well with a section of the party.

It appears that the Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai was in favour of abstention and that the party should not give the impression that it was an ally of the BJP. On several instances, Thambidurai has articulated the position that there was Government to Government co-operation between the NDA government at the Centre and the AIADMK government in the State, which he said was essential for development of the State. Even then, Thambidurai has said that on issues concerning Tamil Nadu, the State government had voiced its differences with the Centre as a party which is duty bound to protect the interests of the State.

Therefore, it appears that Thambidurai is upset with the decision of the leadership now to support the NDA government at the Centre during the no-confidence motion, since it would position the AIADMK as an ally of the BJP. This was something the AIADMK had avoided right after the formation of the NDA government at the Centre. Jayalalithaa herself ensured that the AIADMK should not be seen as an ally of the BJP even while maintaining good relations with the Centre.

The AIADMK has now altered that position, and will be seen in Tamil Nadu as an ally of the BJP.

In that sense, the AIADMK has cast its lot with the BJP, with general elections to the Lok Sabha only a few months away.