After breaking away from the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in September 2023 over certain comments made by then Tamil Nadu chief Annamalai, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is back in the fold.
Moments after holding a meeting with top AIADMK leaders, Union Minister Amit Shah announced that the BJP would be contesting the upcoming Tamil Nadu elections, scheduled for 2026, in alliance with the regional party under the banner of NDA.
“AIADMK and BJP leaders have decided that AIADMK, BJP and all the alliance parties will contest the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu together as NDA,” Amit Shah said, adding that the elections will be fought under the leadership of and former Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami.
“AIADMK, BJP, and other allied parties will contest the Tamil Nadu Assembly election together as the NDA. These elections will be contested under the leadership of PM Modi on a national level and under the leadership of AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami on the state level,” Amit Shah said.
Interestingly, Annamalai, over whose comments the AIADMK had snapped ties with the BJP back in 2023, was also present during the announcement.
The BJP is eager to improve its prospects in Tamil Nadu following a determined effort in the last Lok Sabha elections, where it failed to win a seat in the southern state.
Amit Shah said that the BJP will have no interference in the internal matters of the AIADMK. Also Read | Annamalai changes tune on BJP-AIADMK alliance over a year after prompting the break-up: What did he say?
“AIADMK has no conditions and demands. We will have no interference in the internal matters of the AIADMK. This alliance is going to be beneficial to both NDA and AIADMK,” Amit Shah said.
In the previous two elections – the Lok Sabha and the last Tamil Nadu election – the AIADMK has struggled to perform to better its prospects.
During the 2021 state elections, the AIADMK and the BJP were in alliance, which resulted in the BJP winning four seats. However, the AIADMK severed ties with the BJP in 2023.
