RAJINIKANTH IMPACT? RIFT REMAINS BETWEEN AIADMK AND BJP OVER CM CANDIDATE

CHENNAI: The ‘Rajini’ factor seems to be at play in Tamil Nadu. That’s what many political analysts in the state believe as far as the AIADMK-BJP relations are concerned.

While the AIADMK government has made it clear that Edappadi K. Palaniswami would be the chief ministerial candidate, the BJP remains non-committal on this issue. Tamil Nadu’s BJP leaders still maintain that the central leadership will decide on who will be CM candidate.

Actor Rajinikanth greets the media while addressing a press conference at his residence in Chennai on Thursday

Tamil Nadu BJP president L. Murugan, while addressing the media, categorically said, “The CM candidate for the alliance will be announced by the party high command.”

Political analysts say that the BJP is trying to work out new equations ahead of the Assembly elections after the decision of Tamil superstar Rajinikanth to make a political entry. They say that the BJP, by keeping the CM candidate issue open and by indirectly calling the AIADMK government corrupt, is keeping its options open for future.

Interestingly, the AIADMK has already announced that its alliance with the BJP will continue for the 2021 Assembly elections where the ruling party is eyeing a third electoral victory after storming to power in 2011 and retaining it in 2016. Though AIADMK announced the continuation of the NDA in the state in front of Union minister Amit Shah in Chennai recently, he never said anything about the alliance and only praised AIADMK government for its achievements during the function.