Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi : BJP supremo Amit Shah got a set back as AIADMK both faction is going to merge, so he cancelled the Chennai visit. However BJP is not accepting the matter. BJP confirmed that its president’s itinerary has been revised and that he will remain in Delhi because of “a greater need to have him in the capital over the next few days.”
Mr Shah’s office refused to comment about Chennai being ditched. However, the party president is due to meet BJP chief ministers along with the Prime Minister this evening. Rashtrapati Bhawan sources said they have been given no notice about swearing in new ministers; President Ram Nath Kovind returns to Delhi this evening from a trip to Leh.
A senior party leader confirmed that the change in plans could be due to an anticipated reshuffle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s party, the Janata Dal United, is joining PM Modi’s national coalition and will be entitled to union ministries.
But Chennai has been heading for big changes too. The ruling AIADMK, cleaved by the death of its charismatic and supremely powerful leader, J Jayalalithaa, is striving to reunite this afternoon with a formal merger, though, as with earlier attempts at reconciliation, last-minute jitters are being reported. The AIADMK, which governs Tamil Nadu, has sided with the union government on key legislation and is seen as a “friendly party”, which is why PM Modi made time recently to meet with the leaders of its two rival wings.
There was substantial talk in Chennai about the reunification being announced ahead of Mr Shah’s arrival in Chennai, a move that would allow him and the BJP to be seen as a driving force in Tamil Nadu’s politics, even if behind the scenes. The state has been largely barren for the BJP, and Mr Shah has included it in his plans for expanding the party’s footprint.
The BJP’s Murlidhar Rao, who is in charge of southern states, had landed in Chennai to organise a large welcome for Mr Shah, giving away the last-minute nature of the cancellation.
