“BJP Saved Our Government, That’s Why We Joined Hands”: AIADMK’s Palaniswami on Alliance for Tamil Nadu Elections

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Chennai: In a dramatic announcement, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Monday night credited the BJP-led Central Government for saving his erstwhile Tamil Nadu government following the death of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in December 2016. As a gesture of gratitude, he confirmed that AIADMK has joined hands with the BJP to contest next year’s Assembly elections.

Addressing a public meeting in Chennai, Palaniswami said, “Some people are saying the BJP is intimidating us. But they saved our government.” He claimed that certain leaders attempted to appropriate the AIADMK after Jayalalithaa’s demise, and it was the Centre that intervened to maintain stability.

Asserting firm control over the party, Palaniswami ruled out re-inducting former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and former AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran (now heading the AMMK). Mocking attempts by rebel leader K.A. Sengottaiyan to reunite party factions, he said: “We forgave and took back those who voted against our government and made them Deputy Chief Minister (OPS), but they did not reform. Do they want us to take such people back into the party? Should we take back those (TTV) who ‘abducted’ 18 of our MLAs?”

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