‘AIADMK-BJP alliance to continue for 2021 Tamil Nadu polls’: Paneerselvam

Chennai, Nov 21: Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Paneerselvam said on Saturday announced that the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance will continue for the 2021 Assembly election.

"In the elections to be held in future, the victorious alliance of AIADMK-BJP will continue," Panneerselvam said at a function organised for Amit Shah in Chennai where the Union home minister inaugurated infrastructure projects.

Palaniswami, who said Prime Minister Modi and Shah were working towards making the country a superpower, asserted that "the alliance formed for the Lok Sabha polls will continue." "Our alliance will win maximum seats and AIADMK will retain power," he said.

The announcement by Panneerselvam is significant as it comes amidst reports of strained relationship between AIADMK and BJP after over the latter's Vetrivel Yatra (victorious spear march).

The Yatra aimed at exposing the DMK for "lending support" to an atheist group accused of denigrating Tamil hymn ''Kanda Sashti Kavacham'', sung in praise of Lord Muruga, citing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The AIADMK had recently lashed out at its saffron ally on the matter and accused it of attempting votebank politics.

BJP state President L Murugan has been courting arrest in different towns after trying to take out the procession despite denial of permission.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly polls are expected to take place on April-May next year.

The AIADMK and the BJP aligned for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, along with others, including PMK, but the combine could win only the lone Theni seat out of the 39 segments in Tamil Nadu, with the ruling party clinching it.