Aaj Ki Janta

In a major political development ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday announced the revival of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) alliance. Speaking at a press conference in Chennai on April 11, Shah confirmed that the two parties would contest the upcoming polls together, with AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) as the chief ministerial face of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state.

Flanked by EPS and outgoing BJP Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai, Shah emphasized that the alliance would operate in harmony, respecting each other’s autonomy. “AIADMK has no conditions or demands, and we will not interfere in their internal matters,” he said. The Home Minister added that the coalition would be anchored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and Palaniswami in Tamil Nadu.

“This alliance is going to be beneficial for both the NDA and AIADMK. We are committed to forming a government together in 2026 under EPS’s leadership,” Shah declared, signaling a united front against the ruling DMK.

The announcement marks a rekindling of ties that were severed in the lead-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The split at that time had enabled the DMK-led alliance, headed by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, to sweep all 39 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu. Many political observers believe a united BJP-AIADMK front could have posed a stronger challenge in that contest.

Shah highlighted the historical relationship between the two parties, recalling how AIADMK had supported BJP-led alliances since 1998. He also mentioned the strong rapport between PM Modi and the late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, underscoring their efforts to strengthen Centre-state relations.

Addressing possible ideological and strategic differences, Shah noted that any disputes would be resolved through dialogue and, if necessary, a Common Minimum Programme.

Taking aim at the ruling DMK, Shah accused it of deflecting attention from governance failures by provoking controversies around Sanatan Dharma, the three-language policy, and delimitation. He asserted that the people of Tamil Nadu would vote on real issues and alleged corruption under the current government.

With this announcement, EPS has now been officially positioned as the NDA’s challenger to Chief Minister Stalin, setting the stage for a high-stakes political battle in 2026.