Will not form coalition govt with BJP: AIADMK

Chennai, April 17 (IANS) Senior AIADMK leader and Rajya Sabha MP M. Thambidurai on Thursday ruled out the possibility of forming a coalition government with the BJP in Tamil Nadu, asserting that the AIADMK would form the government on its own if the alliance secures victory in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Speaking to reporters, Thambidurai said: “Tamil Nadu has never had a coalition government - not under Congress veterans like C. Rajagopalachari and K. Kamaraj, nor under Dravidian stalwarts like M.G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi. Similarly, in 2026, Edappadiyar (Edappadi K. Palaniswami) will form the government alone. There is no place for a coalition government in Tamil Nadu, and it will never happen.”

Thambidurai’s remarks reinforce the statement made by AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) on Wednesday, clarifying that the party’s renewed alliance with the BJP is strictly for the 2026 Assembly elections and does not extend to governance.

Palaniswami, addressing reporters after leading a walkout from the Tamil Nadu Assembly - in protest against the House’s refusal to take up the AIADMK’s no-confidence motion against the DMK government - said: “He (Amit Shah) never spoke about forming a coalition government. We have entered into an electoral alliance, not a governance pact.”

The AIADMK leader was responding to persistent media queries regarding Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s comments during his visit to Chennai on April 11.

During that visit, Amit Shah had announced the revival of the AIADMK-BJP alliance and reportedly spoke about the formation of a “coalition government” - a remark that stirred speculation.

Brushing aside these interpretations, Palaniswami accused sections of the media of misrepresenting Amit Shah’s comments.

“He clearly said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the NDA at the national level, and I will lead the alliance in Tamil Nadu. It’s simple and unambiguous,” Palaniswami reiterated.

Highlighting Tamil Nadu’s political tradition, Palaniswami noted that although both the DMK and AIADMK had historically formed electoral alliances, they had never shared power with their allies.

The AIADMK had previously snapped ties with the BJP in September 2023 following a series of controversial statements made by then BJP state president K. Annamalai. However, after months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, the two parties revived their alliance on April 11, 2025.

A significant factor facilitating the renewed partnership was the BJP leadership’s decision to replace Annamalai with veteran leader and former minister Nainar Nagendran as the new state president.

According to party sources, the AIADMK had made this leadership change a precondition for rejoining forces with the BJP, to ensure smoother coordination between the allies ahead of the 2026 polls.

--IANS

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