New Delhi, Mar 9 (IT): Tamil Nadu minister KT Rajendra Bhalaji has said none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the "daddy" of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
Tamil Nadu minister for Milk and Dairy Development Bhalaji said since the death of AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, it was Modi who had been guiding the AIADMK.
"Modi is our daddy now. Since we have lost our Amma, PM Modi has come as a daddy to guide and support us," he told reporters after addressing a party meeting in Viruthunagar district.
The AIADMK and the BJP have reached an agreement for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The minister made the remark when he was asked why the AIADMK forged an alliance with the BJP when Jayalalithaa was not in favour of the same.
"Modi is not only the daddy for the AIADMK, also the India's daddy. Hence, the AIADMK has forged an alliance with the BJP," said Balaji.
Interestingly, in the run up to 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Jayalalithaa had remarked that she was better than Narendra Modi.
"The lady in Tamil Nadu is better than Modi in Gujarat in governance," she had said.
When this was pointed out, the minister claimed that Jayalalithaa wanted to show the world about the leadership in Tamil Nadu.
"Otherwise, she had all respect for Modi, even in the days of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. They were good friends," the minister said, reported The Hindu.