Tamil Nadu’s political landscape is set for a significant shift as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have agreed to collaborate on contesting the upcoming state elections. This partnership, spearheaded by AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), was formally announced today at a joint press conference in Chennai, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah present.
This isn’t the first time these two parties have joined forces; they previously formed an alliance. The forthcoming election represents a renewed effort to secure electoral success after previous partnerships yielded mixed results.
“If necessary, we will formulate a common agenda that aligns our priorities,” stated Mr. Shah addressing reporters alongside EPS and Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai.
Highlighting the historical strength of their collaboration, Mr. Shah drew attention to a past victory from 1998 when an AIADMK-BJP alliance—led then by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa—achieved substantial gains. At one point, this combined force secured victories in 30 out of 39 Lok Sabha constituencies.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), according to Mr. Shah, anticipates a comfortable victory within Tamil Nadu’s electoral sphere.
Addressing concerns about how the alliance will function, Mr. Shah emphasized that the BJP would respect AIADMK’s autonomy and avoid meddling in their internal affairs. He playfully added, “Let us also contribute; don’t worry about everything—leave some challenges for us to manage as well.”
The announcement followed a leadership change within the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit, with Nainar Nagenthiran appointed as the new state chief, replacing K Annamalai. Mr. Shah commended Mr. Annamalai’s “exceptional contributions” and indicated that his organizational skills would be valuable at the national level.
The BJP was keen to clarify that this alliance agreement is entirely separate from the leadership transition within their own party. The decision to form a coalition with the AIADMK had already been finalized prior to Mr. Annamalai’s replacement.
- Previous electoral performance:
- AIADMK has faced challenges in recent Lok Sabha and assembly polls.
- The alliance formed after Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016 hasn’t consistently delivered strong results.
- Prior Collaboration:
- In the 2021 state elections, the AIADMK-BJP alliance secured only four seats for the BJP.
- The partnership was dissolved in 2023.
