New Delhi: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Wednesday clarified that a decision on a possible alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu will be taken closer to the 2026 assembly elections. His remarks came a day after his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.
Speaking to reporters, EPS insisted that his discussions with Shah were centered on Tamil Nadu’s issues and not on alliance talks. “We spoke to him about people’s problems in detail for 45 minutes. Tamil Nadu is heading in the wrong direction,” he said, adding that he sought the Centre’s intervention in various matters, including law and order, the Enforcement Directorate’s raids against TASMAC, the strengthening of the Mullaperiyar dam, and the linking of the Cauvery and Godavari rivers.
When asked about a potential BJP-AIADMK alliance, EPS dismissed speculations. “Is there an election now? Only close to elections will an alliance be decided. Alliance and ideology are different. Our ideology is intact. Alliances change as per the situation and opportunity,” he asserted.
The AIADMK had severed ties with the BJP in September 2023, citing Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai’s remarks against Dravidian stalwarts, including J Jayalalithaa. However, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, both AIADMK and BJP suffered a setback, failing to win a single seat, while the DMK-led alliance secured all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu.
