After Pact With BJP, AIADMK Chief Palaniswami Withdraws Cases Against OPS-Sasikala

The AIADMK supremo Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) could not have asked for more. Every wish of his was granted by the BJP that was seeking an alliance in Tamil Nadu with a major party at any cost. The first concession that EPS made in return was in withdrawing the case against Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran that he had filed at the height of the battle for the party and its ‘Two Leaves’ legacy symbol. This is the first sign that some sort of rapprochement might come about between EPS and his bete noire O Panneerselvam, who has stood by Sasikala. It is, however, unlikely that any of the Sasikala clan and cronies will be allowed back into the party. At most, they may be accommodated in the seats that the BJP gets from AIADMK. Earlier, the BJP had empowered EPS after it became known that Vijay was bent upon going into his poll debut on his own with his fledgling TVK. EPS and his party have been named the leaders of the grand coalition that the BJP was desperate to cobble together to take on the DMK that has further entrenched its position by being a fierce voice of opposing the ruling national party. Former BJP TN chief Annamalai may have fought tooth and nail to improve the party’s vote share in the Lok Sabha polls but BJP had to ditch him to get EPS on its side. Today, EPS is bold enough to state that there will be no coalition government in TN even if the alliance wins a majority even though Amit Shah had hinted at a sharing of power in the state.