Annamalai Out, BJP-AIADMK Alliance In? The Twist In Tamil Nadu Story Forward Of 2026 Elections – News18
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The BJP and AIADMK collectively turn into a formidable pressure as they will then dominate three-four areas of Tamil Nadu
The fast-changing political state of affairs and the behind-the-scenes manoeuvres in Tamil Nadu are making the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections wealthy in anticipation. (PTI File)
Will Okay Annamalai’s exit because the Bharatiya Janata Get together’s (BJP) Tamil Nadu president pave the best way for an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-BJP alliance for the state elections subsequent yr? That is the massive political query doing the rounds because the BJP desires to finish the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) reign in Tamil Nadu and appears able to stoop to beat within the state.
The fast-changing political state of affairs and the behind-the-scenes manoeuvres in Tamil Nadu are making the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections wealthy in anticipation.
Union Residence Minister Amit Shah has confirmed that alliance talks are on with the AIADMK. He’s set to journey to Chennai this month after his assembly with senior AIADMK leaders Edappadi Okay Palaniswami and KA Sengottaiyan throughout the previous 10 days.
Virtually on cue, Annamalai has stated he isn’t within the race to stay the state BJP president, even because the AIADMK continues to disclaim any alliance transfer and in reality voted towards the Waqf Modification Invoice in Parliament. The politics in Tamil Nadu is advanced, and can also be altering quick!
Until mid-March, the DMK appeared to have stolen the limelight in Tamil Nadu with its marketing campaign towards the Centre on the difficulty of ‘Hindi imposition’ and ‘delimitation’. MK Stalin has been proclaiming that his celebration will obtain what it hasn’t executed since 1972 — repeat a consecutive time period in Tamil Nadu.
However belief the BJP to not sit quiet.
THE SURPRISE MEETING
In a transfer straight out of a political drama, AIADMK basic secretary Palaniswami (EPS) met Union Shah in Delhi on March 25 — triggering the discuss that the erstwhile allies had been once more planning a reunion.
A key situation of the AIADMK for an alliance has been that they gained’t take care of Annamalai because the BJP state chief. This was additionally the ultimatum given by the AIADMK to the BJP in 2023 when it had walked out of an alliance with the BJP.
Annamalai and AIADMK have a tough historical past. In 2023, Annamalai vowed to show corruption throughout the AIADMK and DMK — this had enormously upset the AIADMK as J Jayalalithaa was the one former CM convicted on corruption fees. The AIADMK handed a decision quickly after, condemning Annamalai’s actions of attacking historic figures of the state.
The BJP selected to again Annamalai at that stage, given the quantity of effort he had put to shore up the celebration’s possibilities with a padyatra throughout the size and breadth of Tamil Nadu. The BJP put Annamalai straight into the combat within the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by making him contest from Coimbatore seat.
VIDEO | AIADMK Normal Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami (@EPSTamilNadu) addresses the media at Delhi airport.Palaniswami had met Union Residence Minister Amit Shah at his residence on Tuesday, amid talks that his celebration would possibly revive its alliance with the BJP forward of the meeting polls… pic.twitter.com/0BKkXQgPfn
— Press Belief of India (@PTI_News) March 26, 2025
LOK SABHA LESSON, ANNAMALAI’S SABBATICAL
However the Lok Sabha elections had been a catastrophe each for the AIADMK and the BJP as they did not win even a single Lok Sabha seat. Annamalai himself misplaced, however was nonetheless seen as the explanation aside from the Modi issue why the BJP elevated its vote share for the primary time into double digits to finish at over 11%.
However then Annamalai left for a fellowship to Oxford for 3 months between August and December — and in that interval, a brand new star was born in Tamil Nadu politics, Vijay. Together with his mega following and recognition amongst youth, Vijay has rapidly emerged as a critical competitor to each Annamalai and DMK’s younger scion and deputy CM, Udayanidhi Stalin.
Now, in a contemporary twist, Annamalai has stated he isn’t within the race to stay the celebration’s state president however will stay concerned within the state’s politics. This assertion has come quickly after Annamalai met Shah in Delhi after the EPS assembly. It’s believed that Annamalai was informed by Shah that the alliance with AIADMK has to occur for 2026.
NEW TWIST
So, Tamil Nadu’s politics is in for an additional sea change. The DMK, which seemed firmly in command of the scenario until final month with its marketing campaign on Hindi imposition and delimitation, is gazing a tricky combat now if the BJP and AIADMK re-align. Anti-incumbency has been a robust problem for the DMK.
A serious pain-point for the AIADMK has been the delimitation situation as Stalin has managed to construct a story that Tamil Nadu would lose seats within the Lok Sabha in addition to political clout if the Centre carried out delimitation based on inhabitants.
However Shah is believed to have informed EPS that there is no such thing as a level elevating the delimitation situation forward of the 2026 state elections because the nationwide census itself will take one other three years to be revealed and that the Centre wouldn’t conduct delimitation primarily based on inhabitants as this is able to imply that even some northern states would lose seats.
Each the BJP and AIADMK know that an alliance is required to dethrone the DMK from energy subsequent yr. The BJP is aware of that the AIADMK stays a robust pressure in rural Tamil Nadu and has appreciable affect in Western Tamil Nadu. The BJP has additionally gained floor in elements of Western Tamil Nadu, resembling Coimbatore, Erode and Salem, and in some southern pockets resembling Madurai and Ramanathapuram.
WHY THE ALLIANCE IS IMPORTANT?
The BJP and AIADMK collectively turn into a formidable pressure as they will then dominate three-four areas of Tamil Nadu. The BJP’s calculation is also to have a brand new state chief who may help the celebration’s possibilities in areas aside from Western Tamil Nadu and amongst different caste teams too. Annamalai and Palaniswami belong to the identical highly effective group dominant in Western Tamil Nadu, the Gounders, and are available from the identical area as effectively – of western Kongu.
A front-runner for the BJP state chief’s publish therefore is Nainar Nagendran, who comes from Tirunelveli, and belongs to the opposite influential group within the state, the Thevars. Some are additionally talking of BJP’s lady face within the state, Vanithi Srinivasan, as a contender for the publish of the state president.
However that doesn’t imply the story is over for Annamalai. Each the Prime Minister and the Residence Minister are extraordinarily keen on him, and he might be utilized in larger roles now. The excitement is that he could also be delivered to the Rajya Sabha, however Annamalai has stated he’ll stay in Tamil Nadu as a stable celebration employee.
One should bear in mind what the Prime Minister stated final yr forward of the Lok Sabha elections about Annamalai: “He’s attracting the youth, and that he had joined BJP for nationwide curiosity, not any private causes.” It appears he has been informed to belief the BJP high brass, and belief their selections.
The precedence for the BJP proper now’s to dislodge the DMK from energy, as Stalin is rising as a glue for the opposition and is rallying opposition forces.
