Amit Shah's two-day visit to Chennai from April 10, to meet BJP, RSS leaders

IANS April 6, 2025 373 views

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's strategic Chennai visit is generating significant political buzz in Tamil Nadu. The trip involves crucial meetings with BJP and RSS leaders, potentially signaling a reconciliation between the AIADMK and BJP. Tensions between the parties, primarily triggered by state BJP president K. Annamalai's controversial remarks, have been a major roadblock. Sources suggest RSS leadership is actively pushing for an alliance revival ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

"Any alliance must be cemented well ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections" - RSS Leadership Source
Amit Shah's two-day visit to Chennai from April 10, to meet BJP, RSS leaders
Chennai, April 6: Union Home Minister and one of the BJP's chief strategists, Amit Shah, will arrive in Chennai on the evening of April 10 for a two-day visit.

Key Points

1

Shah's strategic two-day Chennai visit sparks political speculation

2

RSS pushes for AIADMK-BJP alliance restoration

3

EPS seeks potential leadership changes in state BJP

During his stay, he is scheduled to hold a series of crucial meetings with senior leaders of the BJP and the RSS.

According to a senior Tamil Nadu BJP leader, HM Shah will meet prominent RSS ideologue and Editor of Thuglak magazine, S. Gurumurthy, on April 11. The visit is being closely watched in light of Shah's recent meeting with AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) in New Delhi.

EPS, accompanied by senior AIADMK leaders and former Ministers S.P. Velumani and K.P. Munusamy, met Amit Shah recently, sparking speculation about a possible revival of the AIADMK-BJP alliance, which broke off in September 2023.

The strained relationship between the two parties is largely attributed to Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai. His controversial remarks against iconic Dravidian leaders, including C.N. Annadurai (Anna) and Dr J. Jayalalithaa, angered the AIADMK leadership and ultimately led to the collapse of the alliance.

It is worth noting that the AIADMK-BJP alliance in the 2021 Assembly elections yielded notable gains for the BJP, which secured four seats.

The AIADMK, having held power from 2011 to 2021, managed to win 66 seats in that election. However, following Annamalai's elevation to state BJP president, the relationship between the two parties worsened.

The fallout was evident in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where both the BJP and AIADMK suffered significant setbacks.

Sources said that several senior RSS functionaries in Tamil Nadu have conveyed to the BJP's central leadership that forming an alliance with a Dravidian party is essential for political traction in the state.

With the DMK seen as a hostile entity, the AIADMK remains the only viable partner. RSS leaders have reportedly emphasized that any alliance must be cemented well ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

AIADMK leaders have also indicated that EPS requested Amit Shah to replace Annamalai as the state BJP president. In a notable development, Annamalai stated publicly on April 4 that he is not in the race for the post and would continue to serve the party as a loyal cadre.

Reader Comments

P
Priya K.
Interesting to see how this visit plays out! The BJP really needs strong allies in TN if they want to make any impact. Hope they can sort out their differences with AIADMK 🤞
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Rahul M.
Annamalai's comments were totally unnecessary and cost BJP dearly. Sometimes party workers need to understand local sentiments before making controversial statements.
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Saranya V.
As a Tamilian, I'm not sure how I feel about this alliance. Both parties have made mistakes. Let's see if they can work for the people's benefit rather than just political gains.
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Karthik B.
Meeting Gurumurthy is a smart move! He understands TN politics better than most BJP leaders. Maybe they'll finally get some sensible advice about how to approach Dravidian politics.
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Anjali P.
The 2021 results showed what's possible when these parties work together. Hope they can rebuild that trust. TN needs strong opposition to keep DMK in check!
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Manoj T.
While I support BJP at national level, their TN strategy needs serious rethinking. Constantly disrespecting local icons won't win any votes here. Amit Shah's visit is long overdue! 🙏

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
Amit Shah AIADMK BJP Tamil Nadu Politics K. Annamalai S. Gurumurthy Edappadi Palaniswami
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