In an unexpected move that took the ruling DMK by surprise, Union Home Minister Amit Shah flew down from New Delhi to Chennai on Friday afternoon and announced an alliance between the BJP and Opposition AIADMK for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Shah said that the AIADMK will lead the National Democratic Alliance in Tamil Nadu while the Party’s General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswamy will be the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance.
The Union Minister made the announcement at BJP headquarters in Chennai at a meeting attended by Palaniswamy and other AIADMK leaders. Senior State BJP leaders too were present during a media briefing by Shah.
Interestingly, Nainar Nagendran, a former AIADMK leader expected to be appointed new Tamil Nadu BJP chief, too was present during the meeting along with K Annamalai, who has made it known that he was not in the race for the party post.
Shah told the media that the number of seats and constituencies to be contested by NDA allies will be worked out in due course. As to differences within the AIADMK, Shah said it was purely an internal matter of that Party and the BJP was not at all concerned about such things.
“This is an alliance to save Tamil Nadu and its people from the jaws of corruption happening under the misrule of the DMK. Chief Minister M K Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi have become the epicentre of corruption. Murders and mayhem have become the order of the day in the State,” said Shah.
He also pointed out that Tamil Nadu has been rocked by charges of corruption and kickbacks in Government deals. “The multi-crore liquor scandal, sand mining running into hundreds of crores and land scam are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Shah.
He said that whatever differences of opinion between AIADMK and BJP will be resolved through discussions by leaders of both parties. “Our top priority is to save the State from the misrule of DMK and its allies,” said the Home Minister.
According to senior State BJP leaders, the alliance will turn out to be a successful one. “People want this corrupt government to go. It is dynasty politics masquerading as democracy and the entire Government machinery is being misused for the benefit of a single family,” said Narayanan Tiruppati, vice-president of State BJP.
GC Shekhar, well-known political critic chronicling Tamil Nadu politics for more than four decades, said the BJP literally shocked the DMK with Friday’s announcement about the alliance. “There is widespread anger against the DMK and an unprecedented anti-incumbency feeling is prevailing across the State. The BJP struck early and this will make other smaller entities join the NDA,” Shekhar told The Pioneer.
He further stated that Shah’s statement was proof of a strong foundation of the alliance. “He was speaking about post-poll scenario which means that this is more than an electoral alliance,” said Shekhar. He also said that the media in the State is dominated by Dravidians and this was clearly visible during the presser through the kind of questions put to the Home Minister.
“The AIADMK and BJP alliance is a marriage of convenience and the DMKL is not perturbed by it,” said TKS Elangovan, DMK spokesman.
