After the four-year-old alliance with the BJP ended on September 25, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami passed a resolution on Monday in this regard and said the views of “two crore” party cadres were taken into consideration, following which a unanimous decision was taken to exit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

While speaking at the press conference during the district Secretaries’ meeting held at the party headquarters in Chennai, Palaniswami emphasized that the decision to end ties was not his alone but was the collective decision of the entire AIADMK.

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Palaniswami said ,”The opinions of our two crore cadres have been taken into consideration, and based on that, the resolution has been passed unanimously to leave the BJP-led NDA. If one resolution is passed in a meeting, it represents the entire party. AIADMK is a strong party with two crore cadres,” he added.

The AIADMK leader addressed inquiries regarding their party’s prime ministerial candidate, stating, “In response to those inquiring about our PM candidate, let’s recall the 2019 elections. Back then, states like Odisha, West Bengal, Kerala, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh didn’t nominate PM candidates. Similar to these regional parties, AIADMK’s focus is on protecting the rights of the people of Tamil Nadu. We will connect with our citizens, request their votes, and consider the people our ultimate authority.”

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The AIADMK leader stated that like regional parties in other states, AIADMK will also protect the rights of the people of Tamil Nadu. They will seek votes from the people and consider them their masters.

Regarding the “Alliance Dharma” within the NDA, the AIADMK leader stated, “During our alliance with the BJP, we faced elections where we had to support certain decisions made by the national party due to alliance obligations. However, moving forward, we won’t find ourselves in such situations. For AIADMK, the people of Tamil Nadu are our foremost priority. Our primary role is to protect the rights of Tamil people and secure Tamil Nadu’s development initiatives.”

Furthermore, the AIADMK leader pledged to represent the voice of Tamil Nadu’s citizens, including minority communities such as Muslims and Christians, in Parliament.

“Our victory in elections is thanks to the votes of the people of Tamil Nadu. In Parliament, we will be their advocates. This is our core ideology. If at any point, minority communities like Muslims and Christians encounter challenges, AIADMK will be the party that lends them a voice,” Palaniswami affirmed.

(With inputs from ANI)