Annamalai Out, BJP-AIADMK Alliance In? The Twist In Tamil Nadu Tale Ahead Of 2026 Elections

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Last Updated:April 07, 2025, 12:06 IST

BJP-AIADMK Alliance: The BJP and AIADMK unneurotic go a formidable unit arsenic they tin past predominate three-four regions of Tamil Nadu

The fast-changing governmental script and the behind-the-scenes manoeuvres successful Tamil Nadu are making the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections affluent successful anticipation. (PTI File)

Will K Annamalai’s exit arsenic the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Tamil Nadu president pave the mode for an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-BJP confederation for the authorities elections adjacent year? This is the large governmental question doing the rounds arsenic the BJP wants to extremity the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) reign successful Tamil Nadu and seems acceptable to stoop to conquer successful the state.

The fast-changing governmental script and the behind-the-scenes manoeuvres successful Tamil Nadu are making the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections affluent successful anticipation.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has confirmed that confederation talks are connected with the AIADMK. He is acceptable to question to Chennai this period aft his gathering with elder AIADMK leaders Edappadi K Palaniswami and KA Sengottaiyan wrong the past 10 days.

Almost connected cue, Annamalai has said helium is not successful the contention to stay the authorities BJP president, adjacent arsenic the AIADMK continues to contradict immoderate confederation determination and successful information voted against the Waqf Amendment Bill successful Parliament. The authorities successful Tamil Nadu is complex, and is besides changing fast!

Till mid-March, the DMK seemed to person stolen the limelight successful Tamil Nadu with its run against the Centre connected the contented of ‘Hindi imposition’ and ‘delimitation’. MK Stalin has been proclaiming that his enactment volition execute what it hasn’t done since 1972 — repetition a consecutive word successful Tamil Nadu.

But spot the BJP to not beryllium quiet.

THE SURPRISE MEETING

In a determination consecutive retired of a governmental drama, AIADMK wide caput Palaniswami (EPS) met Union Shah successful Delhi connected March 25 — triggering the speech that the erstwhile allies were again readying a reunion.

A cardinal information of the AIADMK for an confederation has been that they won’t woody with Annamalai arsenic the BJP authorities chief. This was besides the ultimatum fixed by the AIADMK to the BJP successful 2023 erstwhile it had walked retired of an confederation with the BJP.

Annamalai and AIADMK person a unsmooth history. In 2023, Annamalai vowed to exposure corruption wrong the AIADMK and DMK — this had greatly upset the AIADMK arsenic J Jayalalithaa was the lone erstwhile CM convicted connected corruption charges. The AIADMK passed a solution soon after, condemning Annamalai’s actions of attacking humanities figures of the state.

The BJP chose to backmost Annamalai astatine that stage, fixed the magnitude of effort helium had enactment to enactment up the party’s chances with a padyatra crossed the magnitude and breadth of Tamil Nadu. The BJP enactment Annamalai consecutive into the combat successful the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by making him contention from Coimbatore seat.

LOK SABHA LESSON, ANNAMALAI’S SABBATICAL

But the Lok Sabha elections were a catastrophe some for the AIADMK and the BJP arsenic they failed to triumph adjacent a azygous Lok Sabha seat. Annamalai himself lost, but was inactive seen arsenic the crushed isolated from the Modi origin wherefore the BJP accrued its ballot stock for the archetypal clip into treble digits to extremity astatine implicit 11%.

But past Annamalai left for a fellowship to Oxford for 3 months betwixt August and December — and successful that period, a caller prima was calved successful Tamil Nadu politics, Vijay. With his mega pursuing and popularity among youth, Vijay has rapidly emerged arsenic a superior rival to some Annamalai and DMK’s young scion and lawman CM, Udayanidhi Stalin.

Now, successful a latest twist, Annamalai has said helium is not successful the contention to stay the party’s authorities president but volition stay progressive successful the state’s politics. This connection has travel soon aft Annamalai met Shah successful Delhi aft the EPS meeting. It is believed that Annamalai was told by Shah that the confederation with AIADMK has to hap for 2026.

NEW TWIST

So, Tamil Nadu’s authorities is successful for different oversea change. The DMK, which looked firmly successful power of the concern till past period with its run connected Hindi imposition and delimitation, is staring astatine a pugnacious combat present if the BJP and AIADMK re-align. Anti-incumbency has been a beardown situation for the DMK.

A large pain-point for the AIADMK has been the delimitation contented arsenic Stalin has managed to physique a communicative that Tamil Nadu would suffer seats successful the Lok Sabha arsenic good arsenic governmental clout if the Centre carried retired delimitation according to population.

But Shah is believed to person told EPS that determination is nary constituent raising the delimitation contented up of the 2026 authorities elections arsenic the nationalist census itself volition instrumentality different 3 years to beryllium published and that the Centre wouldn’t behaviour delimitation based connected colonisation arsenic this would mean that adjacent immoderate bluish states would suffer seats.

Both the BJP and AIADMK cognize that an alliance is needed to dethrone the DMK from powerfulness adjacent year. The BJP knows that the AIADMK remains a beardown unit successful agrarian Tamil Nadu and has sizeable power successful Western Tamil Nadu. The BJP has besides gained crushed successful parts of Western Tamil Nadu, specified arsenic Coimbatore, Erode and Salem, and successful immoderate confederate pockets specified arsenic Madurai and Ramanathapuram.

WHY THE ALLIANCE IS IMPORTANT?

The BJP and AIADMK unneurotic go a formidable unit arsenic they tin past predominate three-four regions of Tamil Nadu. The BJP’s calculation besides is to person a caller authorities main who tin assistance the party’s chances successful regions different than Western Tamil Nadu and among different caste groups too. Annamalai and Palaniswami beryllium to the aforesaid almighty assemblage ascendant successful Western Tamil Nadu, the Gounders, and travel from the aforesaid portion arsenic good – of occidental Kongu.

A front-runner for the BJP authorities chief’s station hence is Nainar Nagendran, who comes from Tirunelveli, and belongs to the different influential assemblage successful the state, the Thevars. Some are besides speaking of BJP’s pistillate look successful the state, Vanithi Srinivasan, arsenic a contender for the station of the authorities president.

But that does not mean the communicative is implicit for Annamalai. Both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister are highly fond of him, and helium could beryllium utilized successful bigger roles now. The buzz is that helium whitethorn beryllium brought to the Rajya Sabha, but Annamalai has said helium volition stay successful Tamil Nadu arsenic a coagulated enactment worker.

One indispensable retrieve what the Prime Minister said past twelvemonth up of the Lok Sabha elections astir Annamalai: “He is attracting the youth, and that helium had joined BJP for nationalist interest, not immoderate idiosyncratic reasons." It seems helium has been told to spot the BJP apical brass, and spot their decisions.

The precedence for the BJP close present is to dislodge the DMK from power, arsenic Stalin is emerging arsenic a glue for the absorption and is rallying absorption forces.

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First Published:

April 07, 2025, 07:00 IST

News politics Annamalai Out, BJP-AIADMK Alliance In? The Twist In Tamil Nadu Tale Ahead Of 2026 Elections