While the senior ADMK ministers sparked trouble and intra-party furor over the party's Chief Ministerial candidate for the 2021 state legislative elections, the Central ruling BJP party, which observes alliance with the ADMK in the state, has gone one step further and shocked the Tamil Nadu ruling party by claiming that it will lead the alliance in the state assembly polls. 

When it comes to Tamil Nadu, the national parties had been a part of the alliances that were headed either by the DMK or ADMK and it remained the same when BJP faced the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu in the alliance led by ADMK. However, the Central ruling party has seemingly sounded that the culture is enough, sending shockwaves to the ruling ADMK party, which has already started the political fight on picking and endorsing the Chief Ministerial candidate.

On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu BJP vice president VP Duraisamy addressed the reporters during which he said that the BJP's growth in Tamil Nadu has altered the political landscape in the state and the 2021 assembly elections will be a fight between DMK and BJP, under the BJP-led alliance. Duraisamy hinted that the BJP party has the right to lead the alliance in 2021 polls as it is a national party.

He went on to call all the like-minded parties to join the alliance and stated that the alliance will surely win the elections and form the government in Tamil Nadu next year. He claimed that earlier the fight was between the ADMK and DMK and it has now become BJP versus DMK. Duraisamy's remarks have come when there has been an ongoing episode of furor in the DMK party as one of the MLA's of the Dravidian party Ku Ka Selvam has been nearing to switch his side to the saffron camp. 

Through his remarks, the BJP has seemingly sent a message to the ADMK that it would lead the alliance in the next polls, which the Tamil Nadu party neither had expected nor it would less likely accept. While addressing the reporters, senior ADMK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister Jayakumar said that the party would decide to endorse or reject them if such statements were issued by BJP state president Murugan. 

Refraining from placing the denial, the ADMK leader said that Murugan is the Tamil Nadu BJP Chief and anyone can make any opinion and the state ruling party would respond on this matter after Murugan has clarified them. The reports say that Duraisamy's remarks had deepened the furor in the ADMK party which already seen different opinions from senior ministers on choosing the Chief Ministerial candidate when Edappadi Palaniswami has been hoping for another five-year term.

Recently, Tamil Nadu minister Sellur Raju said that the CM candidate would be chosen by the MLAs after winning the elections. His speech has shown he would less likely accept Edappadi Palaniswami as the Chief Minister candidate whereas another minister Rajenthra Balaji said Edappadi Palaniswami will be the Chief Minister forever. 

With less than one year away for the state elections, BJP's remarks, minister's statements, and controversies had burdened the ADMK party to hit the campaign trail with the hope of returning to power amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the government's response to the pandemic and the charges and accusations of corruptions. It must be recalled that BJP's Duraisamy has recently joined the saffron camp from the DMK and he has been appointed as Tamil Nadu BJP's vice-president.