AIADMK severed ties with NDA after BJP insisted on accepting TN BJP chief Annamalai as CM candidate in Assembly Elections 2026, said AIADMK Former Minister KC Karuppannan on Saturday. The leader also asked how they could tolerate Annamalai after he criticised their party leader former CM J Jayalalithaa. AIADMK Former Minister KC Karuppannan said, "The AIADMK broke the alliance with BJP because they (BJP) were insisting on accepting Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamalai as the chief ministerial candidate in the 2026 assembly elections."
It may be recalled that Annamalai refused to endorse AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami as the CM candidate for 2026 Assembly Elections.
Stating that K Annamalai criticised the late former CM Jayalalithaa, Karuppannan said, "How can we tolerate criticism of our party's institutional leaders, so the AIADMK announced that they are withdrawing from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. We are committed to this decision."
In March, Annamalai undermined AIADMK supremo late Jayalalithaa and received the ire of AIADMK. Annamalai said his wife was 100% more powerful than Jayalalithaa, as reported by India Today. He also said that Tamil Nadu was one of the most corrupt states in India and since several administrations were corrupt, it resulted in the conviction of former CMs.
The last blow to AIADMK was Annamalai's comment against CN Annadurai. Annamalai had said that Annadurai insulted Hinduism in 1956 in Madurai. Later, he was able to leave Madurai only after apologising to Muthuramalinga Thevar. However, these statements did not go well with AIADMK leaders.