AIADMK's alliance with BJP only to fight 2026 polls, won’t form coalition govt: EPS

CHENNAI: Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday categorically stated that the AIADMK had only formed an electoral alliance with the BJP, firmly ruling out the possibility of forming a coalition government in the state in the aftermath of the 2026 Assembly polls.

"He (Union Home minister Amit Shah) never spoke about a coalition government. His remarks were misconstrued," Palaniswami told the media at the Secretariat. Palaniswami's assertive statement came in response to persistent questions from journalists regarding Shah's comments on April 11, when he stated that the NDA would form a "coalition government" in TN while announcing the revival of the alliance with the AIADMK for the ensuing Assembly polls.

When pressed further for clarity on Shah's remarks, Palaniswami retorted it was a narrative being pushed by the media. "He (Shah) made it clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the NDA at the national level, and he mentioned my name as the one who will lead the alliance in Tamil Nadu. It's straightforward. So please stop misinterpreting it," he said.

Hitting back at the DMK's criticism of the alliance with the BJP and calling it "opportunistic", Palaniswami said the AIADMK will decide on its course of actions and form an alliance on its own. "Why is the ruling party irritated and scared about it (the AIADMK-BJP alliance)? They have no moral right to comment on the alliance. It is the people who will have the final say," he said.

He went on to add that the party's primary objective was to consolidate anti-DMK and anti-incumbency votes to unseat its archrival in the upcoming polls. "We are making efforts to bring together like-minded parties to defeat the DMK government in the 2026 elections. As a first step, the BJP has joined us. There is still one more year to go, and more parties are likely to join our alliance soon," he added.