Team News Riveting
Chennai, November 21
The AIADMK and BJP would contest the assembly elections in 2021 together.
Both Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said that the party would continue to ally with the BJP for the upcoming Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. They were speaking at the Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai in the presence of union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah. It was speculated that the AIADMK which had recently taken on the BJP and disallowed the controversial Vel Yatra, may choose to stay away from an alliance with the BJP. The speculations, however, were put to rest on Saturday.
Amit Shah arrived at Chennai on Saturday afternoon and took part in events involving the foundation stones and opening of several infrastructure projects across Tamil Nadu, through video conferencing. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief MInister O Panneerselvam and a slew of other ministers were at the airport to receive Amit Shah. They then went to the Kalaivanar Arangam, where an event was arranged to facilitate the inauguration ceremonies, where Palaniswami and Panneerselvam reiterated the alliance decision.
The announcements made by the Chief Minister and the deputy Chief Minister are significant because of rumours of a rift between the two parties in recent times. The state government not only refused permission for the BJP’s Vel Yatra that was scheduled from November 6 to December 6 citing the pandemic as the reason, but had also condemned the BJP’s alleged appropriation of former Chief Minister (and AIADMK Founder) MG Ramachandran’s visuals in their publicity videos.
