AIADMK, BJP seal alliance for Tamil Nadu elections; WATCH Amit Shah's big announcement

synopsis

In a significant political development ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday formally announced an alliance. The decision was made public during a joint press conference addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Shah declared that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the AIADMK, BJP, and other allies, will contest the upcoming elections together. “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,” he said.

Amit Shah Dismisses Reports of AIADMK Demands

He further clarified the leadership structure of the alliance, saying, “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.”

Addressing reports suggesting that AIADMK had set conditions for the alliance, Shah denied such claims. “There was no demand,” he asserted.

Highlighting the longstanding relationship between the two parties, Shah noted that AIADMK has been part of the NDA since 1998 and recalled the working relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa. Responding to a question on why the alliance announcement took time, he said, “It took time because this alliance is now permanent.”

Annamalai Steps Aside from State Unit Leadership Role

The announcement came a day after BJP leader K Annamalai opted out of the race for the party's Tamil Nadu unit chief post. Last month, AIADMK general secretary and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami met Amit Shah, indicating growing proximity between the two parties.

On March 28, Annamalai had described the 2026 elections as a key opportunity to unseat the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). “The DMK should be brought down from power and no vote should get wasted by the votes getting shifted between different parties. Tamil Nadu, as of now, has a five-cornered contest. Nowhere else in the Indian politics you see a five-cornered contest,” he said.

Reiterating that alliance decisions rest with the party's central leadership, Annamalai said, “With respect to the alliance, you have to understand that for a national party like the BJP, a disciplined party, it is our national leadership that will decide. So, we have committees, we have parliamentary boards which look into a lot of angles before they make the decision.”

With this formal announcement, the AIADMK-BJP alliance aims to consolidate anti-DMK votes and strengthen its position ahead of the high-stakes electoral battle in 2026.