It’s Official! AIADMK (Heart) BJP: Here’s What Chennai Thinks

The BJP and the AIADMK are now in open bromance mode. Here’s what Chennai thinks about it.

The AIADMK was the only party that took BJP’s side in the no-confidence motion.

(Photo: Vikram Venkateswaran/The Quint)

Reporter: Ashwin R
Video Editor and Producer: Vikram Venkateswaran

Rahul Gandhi gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi a hug, after a 30-minute speech that ripped apart the Modi government. That side-hug has now become a historical moment in Indian politics, with analysts calling it a power move and Congress supporters declaring it a victory of ‘heart’ over ‘hate’.

But for the people of Tamil Nadu, there was another hug that was more pronounced than this one, which came as no surprise, but was shocking nevertheless.

The AIADMK was the only regional party to side with the BJP when the no-confidence motion was called for by the TDP and backed by the INC. The chief minister of Tamil Nadu and the current supremo of the AIADMK declared:

“When Tamil Nadu MPs raked up the issue and stalled the parliament demanding the constitution of Cauvery water Regulatory committee, the TDP did not support our cause.”

While the reason was ostensibly a form of payback for TDP’s lack of support on the Cauvery issue, the people of Tamil Nadu think differently. Thanks to its non-Dravidian stance in TN politics, they have been seen as a pro-BJP party, ever since Jayalalithaa died. The GST, NEET and other policies and plans of the centre which were stalled during Jayalalithaa’s reign have now been implemented without much ado.

This has added further fuelled the speculation over the centre now controlling the AIADMK ruled state.

In siding with the BJP, seen as the ‘Hindi/Hindutva’ party by the DMK led opposition, the cat is out of the bag, and the move is seen as the beginning of an open bromance between the two parties.

Here’s what the people of Chennai think of last week’s drama packed parliamentary session.

Statutory warning: Strong views ahead.