AIADMK severs ties with BJP-led NDA alliance

Chennai: Ending its four year-old ties with the BJP, the AIADMK on Monday announced walking out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and said it would lead a separate front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The decision to break away from the NDA was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami at the AIADMK headquarters here.

The decision was met with cheers from the Dravidian party workers who burst crackers outside the headquarters here. Tamil Nadu BJP vice president Narayanan Thirupathy when asked on his party's reaction told PTI,"The national leadership will address the matter."

The ruling DMK has all along maintained that the rift is only a drama. The move to call it quits comes days after senior AIADMK leaders called on BJP chief J P Nadda in New Delhi and apprised him about the ground situation in the state arising out of the saffron party's Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai's aggressive style of politics.

They had then sought Annamalai's apology for making a remark on Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai or that he be replaced. Briefing reporters former minister KP Munusamy said the party has adopted a resolution to part ways with the NDA and steer a combine of like-minded parties in next year's polls.

With an ulterior motive, the AIADMK said the BJP's state leadership deliberately defamed Annadurai and late party matriarch J Jayalalithaa. (PTI)