POLITICS

Is united AIADMK headed the Nitish way?

PTI4_19_2017_000191B (File) Representational image | PTI

On August 22, BJP chief Amit Shah was scheduled to travel to Chennai as a part of his party's plans to extend reach in Tamil Nadu. But he postponed it for the second time, apparently keeping in mind the sensitivities of the AIADMK.

Now, the merger between the two warring factions of the party (AIADMK) has strengthened the Dravidian party in the state where DMK was aiming to fill the vacuum after Jayalalithaa's death. The merger is a good news for the BJP too. It now has better leverage in the state politics.

Is united AIADMK headed the Nitish Kumar way?

The AIADMK has been supporting the Modi government on all the key issues, be it inside the parliament or presidential elections. Given the absence of the charismatic leader—Jayalalithaa—the current party leadership would feel secure in the big brother embrace of the saffron party.

As merger was sanctioned with blessings of the BJP, all sides played their part. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E. Palaniswami ordered probe into former chief minister Jayalalithaa's death as demanded by O. Pannerselvam, the centre also agreed to give a year's reprieve to Tamil Nadu students from the medical entrance test, the NEET. This decision was announced by minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who, though had nothing to do with the health ministry, gave a political signal to the state.

The AIADMK has 50 MPs, including 37 in the Lok Sabha. The BJP would like to include the AIADMK in the NDA fold and even in the Union cabinet to give another strong signal to the public and the opposition. Like JDU's entry into the NDA, the BJP would have added another state to its kitty without winning even a single seat.

BJP-led NDA's rule would extend nearly three-quarters of the country in geographical terms. If AIADMK joins NDA, then it would be the 19th state under its rule. The remaining 12 are under either UPA or single party government.

As the AIADMK merger has come fast and even Shah has stayed back in the national capital, the cabinet expansion could be on the way sooner than expected.

Politically speaking, the BJP feels comfortable with the current leadership of AIADMK as it can blend in. But Sasikala was a difficult customer, beginning to assert her supremacy and fill in Jayalalithaa's shoes.

If Shah had travelled before the merger, he would have been forced to question the state government over its governance record and alleged corruption. Now, when he travels next, he would be kinder talking about the government in power.

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Topics : #AIADMK

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