Chennai: Although the two major dravidian parties, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), have nearly finalised alliances for the 2026 assembly elections, both maintain they would be in a position to form a government on their own without having to share power with allies.
The question arose after Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared on 11 April that BJP-led NDA would form the government in Tamil Nadu in 2026. Five days later, on 16 April, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami contradicted him by saying the alliance is only for the elections and AIADMK would form the government on its own.
While leaders of the Dravidian parties maintain this was in line with their principle of “Mathiyil Kootatchi Manilathil Suyatchi” (federalism at the Centre and autonomy in the states), their alliance partners are chalking it up to the bipolar political landscape.
DMK spokesperson Tamilan Prasanna said his party has forged an alliance with “like-minded people” and would contest the polls and form a government on its own. “At the same time, we give our alliance partners due representation in the system and we do take their suggestions and concerns on all the issues, making the government an inclusive one.”
But political analysts said the ball is now in the voters’ court.
V.M. Sunilkumar, assistant professor at Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science, explained that the people of Tamil Nadu always look at the stability of the alliance.
“Except in rare cases, people here have always given a clear majority to one of the Dravidian majors to form the government. This shows that people themselves are not ready for a coalition government. Only if the ground situation turns against the two Dravidian majors, only then there is a chance for a coalition government,” he told ThePrint.
Since DMK first came to power in Tamil Nadu in 1967, it fell short of a majority on its own only once—in 2006. Despite having won 96 of the 234 seat, it formed a minority government with outside support from the Congress, PMK, CPI and CPI(M).
Even before 1967, the Congress had managed to secure majorities on its own in Tamil Nadu, setting a precedent for single-party dominance.
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Bipolar political landscape
Tamil Nadu’s bipolar politics has always meant that the contest remains between the DMK-led alliance and the AIADMK-led alliance. Ever since both entered the electoral fray, they have absorbed ‘smaller’ parties to ensure votes are consolidated and not fragmented.
Chennai-based political analyst Sathiyamoorthy said smaller parties join one of the alliances to gain a winnable seat rather than contest independently and lose relevance.
“Parties like the Congress, VCK, CPI, CPI(M), PMK, DMDK join one of these fronts to gain winnable seats in their region of dominance. This system minimises the need for post-election coalition bargaining, as the leading front often secures a clear majority,” he said, adding that both main Dravidian parties skillfully co-opt smaller parties.
This, he said, prevents smaller parties from becoming kingmakers.
In contrast, in other states regional parties like the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra hold enough leverage to make demands from bigger alliance partners.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) deputy general secretary Vanni Arasu told ThePrint that a coalition government in Tamil Nadu “can be sought only when parties are dependent on any of their alliance partners”.
“But, that’s not the case with either of the Dravidian parties. So getting representation in the assembly to raise our voice and fighting for people on the ground are the only options left before us to expand our base.”
PMK honorary president G.K. Mani expressed the inability to be part of a government in the state despite the party being part of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
“It is a sad reality that the parties do not share power at state level. It is largely because of their independence in forming the government. But it is a matter of time before a regional party would take over the position of one of the two Dravidian majors,” said Mani.
In the 2021 assembly elections, PMK was in alliance with the AIADMK, which was part of the NDA. However, after AIADMK walked out of the NDA in September 2023, PMK joined the NDA with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss had served as Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare between May 2004 and May 2009 in the first Manmohan Singh ministry.
Leaders from the Left parties, meanwhile, pointed to the number of seats the two main Dravidian parties contest, which they said leaves no room for any of the alliance partners to make demands. “Dravidian parties contest more than 170 or say 180 seats of the 234 and largely the seats where they are weak are given to alliance partners to contest. So from the seats they contest, they easily get a clear majority, and there is no scope for allies to demand a share in power,” said P. Shanmugam, Tamil Nadu secretary of the CPI(M).
BJP leaders in the state, on the other hand, maintained that Tamil Nadu would see a coalition government in 2026.
“Our presence has been growing election after election. We will be the deciding factor in the upcoming polls in Tamil Nadu and the state will also soon see a coalition government for the first time,” a senior state BJP leader told ThePrint on condition of anonymity.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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