It is a multiple advantage for EPS that you can now dictate terms to allies and even the BJP.
On November 21, Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and Chief Deputy Minister O Panneerselvam shared the stage with Interior Minister Amit Shah. The duo made a big announcement that the AIADMK BJP alliance in Tamil Nadu will continue. But for more than a month the BJP did not endorse this announcement, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar stepped forward and chose not to comment on the alliance on his visit to Chennai last week. The BJP, hoping that actor Rajinikanth’s party would change the equations, had placed AIADMK in an inconvenient position.
But the political landscape in Tamil Nadu has changed dramatically, with Rajinikanth’s announcement that he will not take the political step. This announcement may have disappointed your fan club members, but one man will breathe a sigh of relief: Edappadi Palaniswami.
BJP insiders say two reasons prevented the BJP leadership from announcing EPS as their choice for CM. First of all, they were reluctant to allow any AIADMK leader to emerge as a high figure in the state that they believed would hamper their expansion plans. Second, the BJP leaders hoped to forge an alliance between BJP, AIADMK and Rajinikanth with the projected superstar as the coalition leader. Now, given the change of scenery, EPS’s position as the sole face of the alliance has been consolidated and its closest collaborators believe it will be a matter of time before the BJP publicly endorses it.
Read: Rajinikanth says he does not enter politics, his ‘adviser’ Gurumurthy says 1996 will be repeated
“Although some leaders in Delhi were okay with backing EPS, there was a lobby group from Tamil Nadu who wanted the central leadership to wait until January to see how much traction Rajinikanth gets. With that failed plan, one can expect an announcement from BJP supporting Alianza AIADMK and EPS, “said a source who works with EPS.
Reduced bargaining power of PMK and DMDK
Several AIADMK allies were also reportedly being distant and costly in the hope that with possible talks with Rajinikanth in the offing, they could negotiate hard. Parties like the PMK and DMDK will now be friendlier to the ruling party, with its bargaining power waning.
Sources confirmed to TNM that polls conducted for both AIADMK and DMK indicated that Rajinikanth’s proposed party will damage AIADMK’s fortunes more than DMK’s. While Rajinikanth had been ambiguous about his political stance on many issues, his repeated statements on “spiritual politics” indicated that he would possibly compete for a vote bank similar to AIADMK. Anti-DMK voters would be further divided, leading to EPS’s position being lowered further. With his stardom coupled with his proximity to BJP leaders including PM Modi and HM Amit Shah, Rajinikanth posed a serious threat to the EPS as the alternative leader of the pro-Hindu, anti-DMK and anti-Dravidian party vote bank. .
Also read: Rajinikanth announces that he will not enter electoral politics
In Tamil Nadu, although each party has its own loyal caste voters, some communities often oscillate between parties and these floating parties may also have supported Rajinikanth. AIADMK sources say that various communities such as Mutharaiyar, Nadar, Yadavar, Sourashtra, Reddiyar, Chettiar and Nayakkar would have favored EPS in the next elections had it not been for Rajinikanth. With the political landscape changing, these communities may return to the AIADMK fold, sources believe.
The AIADMK, after many internal negotiations, had announced EPS as its face of CM. Many at AIADMK were also concerned that the BJP’s delay in recognizing EPS as the face of CM also has a negative influence on their outlook.
Read: ‘His decision like thunder in our hearts’ – Rajinikanth fans react to announcement
Recently, when national leaders like Prakash Javadekar also refused to answer questions about it, AIADMK had been forceful in its response. On Sunday, AIADMK deputy KP Munusamy told a party meeting that there can be no place for a coalition government and that the government will be led by AIADMK, sending a message to ally BJP.
And with Rajinikanth retiring, AIADMK has more room to get aggressive with BJP and form the alliance on their terms. By not doing something, Rajnikanth seems to have done a lot for Edappadi Palaniswami this election season.
