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PM Narendra Modi on Friday welcomed the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) back into the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), marking a significant political shift in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
‘Stronger Together’: PM Modi Hails Reunion
Prime Minister Modi took to the social media platform X to express his delight over AIADMK’s return to the NDA fold.
“Stronger together, united towards Tamil Nadu’s progress! Glad that AIADMK joins the NDA family. Together, with our other NDA partners, we will take Tamil Nadu to new heights of progress and serve the state diligently,” PM Modi wrote.
He invoked the legacy of former Tamil Nadu leaders, adding, “We will ensure a government that fulfils the vision of the great MGR and Jayalalithaa Ji.”
PM Modi Takes Jibe DMK
Taking aim at the ruling DMK, PM Modi accused the party of corruption and divisiveness.
“For the sake of Tamil Nadu’s progress and to preserve the uniqueness of Tamil culture, it is important the corrupt and divisive DMK is uprooted at the earliest which our alliance will do,” he said.
Amit Shah Confirms AIADMK To Lead NDA In Tamil Nadu
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a high-profile visit to Chennai, officially announced that AIADMK would lead the NDA in Tamil Nadu. He also confirmed that AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) would be the NDA’s Chief Ministerial candidate.
At a press conference, Shah described the AIADMK-BJP partnership as a “natural alliance”, signaling a strategic alignment to challenge DMK dominance in the state.
Alliance Revived After 2023 Split
The AIADMK-BJP alliance collapsed in September 2023 following a bitter fallout triggered by controversial comments from Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai. His remarks against Dravidian stalwarts C.N. Annadurai and J. Jayalalithaa angered AIADMK leaders, resulting in the break-up.
Previously, the parties had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly elections together. In 2021, AIADMK won 66 seats while the BJP secured four.
However, their split before the 2024 general elections led to electoral setbacks for both parties.
Behind-the-Scenes Talks Paved Way For Reunion
Political observers noted that groundwork for the reunion had been underway for several weeks. EPS and senior AIADMK leaders — including S.P. Velumani and K.P. Munusamy — met Amit Shah in Delhi, sparking reconciliation talks.
One of the key turning points came when Annamalai announced on April 4 that he would not seek any official position, opting instead to serve as a party cadre. Sources suggest that the AIADMK leadership had urged the BJP high command to replace Annamalai to ease tensions.
Senior RSS leaders also reportedly played a crucial role in facilitating the rapprochement, stressing the strategic importance of re-aligning with a major Dravidian party to counter the DMK.
High-Level Strategy Meetings In Chennai
During his Chennai visit, Amit Shah held a series of meetings with top BJP and RSS leaders, including a private discussion with S. Gurumurthy, editor of Thuglak magazine and an influential RSS ideologue.
State BJP chief Annamalai, Union Minister L. Murugan, and senior leaders Tamilisai Soundararajan, Nainar Nagendran, and Pon Radhakrishnan received him at the airport.
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