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By:

Akhilesh Sinha

25 June 2025 at 2:53:54 pm

Vijay-AIADMK pact takes Annamalai’s wicket

New Delhi: The emergence of C Joseph Vijay as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister has intensified debate over the political realignments that preceded the 2026 Assembly elections, with many observers linking his rise to the political marginalisation and eventual exit of former BJP state president K. Annamalai. According to political commentators, Annamalai had increasingly come to view Tamil Nadu’s politics as requiring a new alternative focused on clean governance and nationalism. This is said to...

Vijay-AIADMK pact takes Annamalai’s wicket

New Delhi: The emergence of C Joseph Vijay as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister has intensified debate over the political realignments that preceded the 2026 Assembly elections, with many observers linking his rise to the political marginalisation and eventual exit of former BJP state president K. Annamalai. According to political commentators, Annamalai had increasingly come to view Tamil Nadu’s politics as requiring a new alternative focused on clean governance and nationalism. This is said to have influenced his decision to leave the BJP and explore the possibility of launching a new political platform in the state. Despite efforts by the BJP leadership to elevate him to a national role, Annamalai reportedly preferred to remain in Tamil Nadu, where he had built a strong following among young voters through extensive grassroots outreach. His “En Mann, En Makkal” campaign, combined with a growing social media presence, had helped enhance his profile and contributed to the BJP’s improved vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, the BJP’s strategy ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections increasingly revolved around its alliance with the AIADMK. Annamalai had long expressed reservations about excessive dependence on the regional party and had previously attracted controversy through remarks on former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and other figures associated with the Dravidian movement. When the BJP and AIADMK renewed their alliance before the Assembly polls, Annamalai was replaced as state BJP president by Nainar Nagendran and was not fielded as an Assembly candidate. The move was interpreted as an attempt to preserve alliance harmony and avoid friction with the AIADMK. Potential Threat Some analysts contend that Vijay had already established lines of communication with influential sections of the AIADMK and viewed Annamalai as a potential political threat because of his growing popularity among younger voters. They argue that Annamalai’s aggressive campaign style and expanding support base unsettled both allies and rivals, creating circumstances that ultimately benefited Vijay. Following the elections, speculation emerged about informal understandings between leaders in the AIADMK and Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), particularly after several AIADMK legislators were seen extending support to the new Chief Minister. While no evidence has publicly substantiated such claims, they continue to fuel political discussion in the state. Within the BJP, even some party leaders acknowledge that Annamalai played a significant role in strengthening the organisation's grassroots presence in Tamil Nadu. His supporters argue that he transformed the BJP into a more visible political force capable of challenging both the DMK and AIADMK. Annamalai entered politics in 2019 after resigning from the Indian Police Service, citing a desire to promote transparent and corruption-free governance. Since leaving the BJP, he has reportedly signalled an interest in building a political movement rooted in nationalism and Hindutva. Next Move His possible next move comes at a time when Tamil Nadu’s political landscape is undergoing significant change. Vijay’s success has drawn comparisons with earlier anti-establishment political experiments elsewhere in India, particularly the rapid rise of new political formations that challenged entrenched parties. Tamil Nadu’s political discourse has historically been shaped by the legacy of Periyar’s Self-Respect Movement and the Dravidian parties it inspired. Vijay sought to broaden his appeal beyond traditional Dravidian politics by positioning himself as a cross-sectional leader capable of attracting diverse voter groups.

People praise Army for protecting

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah interacts with displaced border residents at a shelter camp.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah interacts with displaced border residents at a shelter camp.

Garkhal (J&K): Men and machines of the armed forces worked meticulously to ensure the interception of Kamikaze drones and missiles fired by Pakistani troops targeting Jammu, drawing widespread appreciation from people.


India on Thursday night swiftly thwarted Pakistan's fresh attempts to strike military sites with drones and missiles, including in Jammu and Pathankot, after foiling similar bids at 15 locations across the country's northern and western regions, amid a military conflict between the two neighbours.


Looking after the operational area of Jammu under the command of the 9 Corps, the 26 Infantry Division, nicknamed the "Tiger Division", had put in place a robust air-defence system, virtually carving out an Israel-type Iron Dome to protect Jammu from a Hamas-style attack by Pakistan.


An official who was privy to the developments said it was a meticulous combination of men and machines in defence that thwarted such a massive Pakistani attack.


In the dead of night, Pakistan unleashed its most audacious assault on Jammu since the 1971 war, deploying a swarm of more than a hundred Kamikaze drones and missiles in a sinister attempt to devastate the city. But what followed was a show of unmatched precision, courage and resilience.


"We are indebted to our armed forces who have saved Jammu from a major attack by Pakistan. We appreciate them for their missionary work. We never thought these bombs could be neutralised in the air," Garkhal resident Sikender Singh said.


Singh, whose family, along with more than 500 villagers, has shifted to safer camps set up by the government in Mishriwala on the Jammu outskirts, said had the bombs not been intercepted, they could have caused massive deaths and destruction.


Finest system

The Army, backed by one of the world's finest air-defence systems, intercepted the aerial barrage with astonishing accuracy -- virtually every hostile object was destroyed mid-air. Not a single vital installation was touched. Not a single civilian life was lost.


"Eight missiles from Pakistan were directed at Satwari, Samba, R S Pura and Arnia. All were intercepted and blocked by air-defence units. Visuals over Jammu reminded exactly of a Hamas-style attack on Israel, like multiple cheap rockets," an Army official said.


He said the Pakistan Army is operating and behaving like Hamas. "Drones were sighted at multiple places along the western front -- confirmed to be hostile. They are being effectively engaged by our air-defence systems. Pakistani drone attacks have been reported at various locations along the western borders and are being effectively countered by the Indian armed forces," he added.


The multi-tier air-defence system, with a twin technological security architecture of Russian and Israeli surface-to-air missile setups and the indigenous Akash, was a game changer against such attacks.


Former Jammu and Kashmir director general of police S P Vaid appreciated the armed forces and their technological security systems for effectively dealing with the Pakistani attacks.


He said 50 to 60 air attacks by Pakistan over Jammu and other places were neutralised on Thursday night by the impregnable air-defence system of the country.


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