TN elections 2021: Will BJP get to chose the CM candidate

Chennai, Jan 02: AIADMK top leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Thursday said his party would lead the alliance in the state and he is the Chief Ministerial candidate of the combine for the 2021 assembly elections.

Parties that accept the leadership of AIADMK and his candidature could be part of the combine, he said, pointing to the earlier statements of party senior leaders O Panneerselvam and K P Munusamy.

Palaniswami''s remarks assume significance since the BJP has been maintaining that the CM candidate would be chosen by the NDA coordination committee though the nominee for the top post would be from the largest partner.

PMK president G K Mani has reportedly said his party founder S Ramadoss would announce its stand on the issue later. Assembly elections are expected to be held in the state during April-May. "The alliance will be led by the AIADMK. Only those who accept it shall be part of the combine and this has been announced by him (Munusamy)," Palaniswami said. Also, party coordinator Panneerselvam had already announced he (Palaniswami) would be the party''s CM nominee and AIADMK shall lead the alliance, the Chief Minister said. Speaking to reporters here, he said parties that were previously part of his party led combine continued to be with the AIADMK.

Apparently, he was referring to parties including the BJP and PMK that were part of the AIADMK alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Talks over alliance would happen only after polls are announced by the Election Commission, he said adding the situation was the same even with the main opposition DMK-led alliance.

To questions related to AIADMK-BJP ties, he said it was natural for any political party to aspire to grow and outfits could take a specific stand to encourage their cadres, he said adding electoral understandings were entirely different from ideology of each and every party.

Palaniswami and Panneerselvam have announced that the alliance with the BJP would continue for the assembly polls. On December 27, Munusamy had ruled out sharing power with allies if his party retained power. Palaniswami would be the Chief Ministerial candidate, he had said.