Chennai: Former NDA allies AIADMK and BJP will fight next year’s Tamil Nadu Assembly elections together, under the leadership of E Palaniswami, popularly known as EPS.Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed the news at a press conference here on Friday with AIADMK chief Palaniswami by his side, ending weeks of speculation.The announcement came hours after BJP’s decision to appoint Nainar Nagendran as the president of the party’s Tamil Nadu unit.Nagendran’s appointment comes after K Annamalai ruled himself out of the Tamil Nadu chief’s race — which was reportedly crucial in sealing the BJP-AIADMK alliance.“This election will be led nationally by Narendra Modi and in Tamil Nadu by EPS and AIADMK,” Shah said.Pointing out that the AIADMK has been part of the NDA since 1998, and that Prime Minister Modi and former CM J Jayalalithaa had worked together in the past, Shah asserted that the NDA partnership will be victorious.“Our alliance is much stronger. I am fully confident that NDA will win a major victory and an NDA government will be formed in Tamil Nadu,” said Shah.Assembly elections in the southern state is due in April-May, 2026.If the NDA alliance does win next year, EPS will be the chief ministerial candidate, though Shah said AIADMK did not make any demand as part of the alliance.“We will discuss about seat sharing later,” Shah stated, claiming that people “will vote for corruption, law and order issues, atrocities against women and Dalits.” As for the outgoing state unit chief of the saffron party, there have been several reports saying that Annamalai may be assigned a Cabinet berth.However, when Annamalai was asked if he will be moved to Delhi with a ministerial berth, he denied any such plans.“I will continue to be a cadre. I came to politics to fight against corruption, and I wouldn’t compromise in that resolve,” Annamalai was quoted by media.
