“I would like to share my joy …and convey my heartiest congratulations on the resounding victory of the BJP in Karnataka Assembly elections. Your diligent and conscientious efforts yielded the desired fruits…” This message sent by Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam to congratulate BJP on their “victory” in Karnataka may confuse a few.

The wordings are certainly a big signal of the AIADMK-BJP alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, say all political observers. If that is not enough, the letter sent to BJP chief Amit Shah by OPS himself may even confuse people whether AIADMK is a B team of BJP, as accused by the Opposition.

Though the messages sent by OPS and CM Edappadi Palaniswamy have given credence to reports that the AIADMK and the BJP may forge an alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the messages turned out to be preposterous as the BJP could not score the required number of seats for absolute majority and ended up just as the single largest party in the House.

Though Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister and spokesman of the government D Jayakumar said on Sunday the AIADMK did not have any kind of political tie-up with the BJP, the congratulatory messages by top leaders of the party confirm give credence to the accusation of Opposition parties.

“Ours is a government-to-government relation for implementing the projects in the State. We will oppose the Centre when we need to. There will not be any political ties under any circumstances,” Jayakumar had announced on Sunday. But these are only considered to be in tune with current tensed political situation arise out of Carvery water dispute.

Though there is no formal alliance between the two parties in the state, it is an open secret that both are natural allies because of the soft Hindutva stance of the AIADMK. The entire opposition in Tamil Nadu is worried over the entry of the BJP into the political vacuum left by the demise of Jayalalithaa and the exit of DMK chief M Karunanidhi from active politics.

“The BJP is trying to piggy ride into Tamil Nadu on the shoulders of the AIADMK. Both Palaniswamy and Panneerselvam are serving the interests of the BJP,” alleges Stalin on a daily basis. Though the AIADMK leadership stoutly denies this charge, the Opposition won’t buy the assertion.