AIADMK likely to join NDA, senior BJP leader says

A senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader on Sunday said that the AIADMK will soon join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and be a part of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

“It is only a matter of time before an announcement is made on this,” said a BJP leader, who is key party functionary for Tamil Nadu, to PTI.

The leader added that the AIADMK will certainly join the NDA and when it joins it will automatically join the government.

The BJP leader also added that rebellion group of AIADMK MLAs owing allegiance to TTV Dhinakaran against chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, claiming that it was more an internal matter.

Following the recent merger of the factions headed by Palaniswami and former chief minister O Paneerselvam, the party has been hit by fresh dissent with a group of MLAs rallying behind Dhinakaran, whose aunt, VK Sasikala, is the AIADMK chief and in jail on a corruption case.

Though the BJP has played down its part in the AIADMK merger, party leaders have made it clear that they were keen that the two groups come together.

The AIADMK has 37 and 13 members in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Its members also voted for the NDA’s presidential and vice presidential candidates in the recent elections.

(With PTI inputs)