CHENNAI: Union Home Minister and BJP's principal strategist Amit Shah on Thursday formally announced the revival of the BJP-AIADMK alliance in Tamil Nadu, declaring that the Dravidian major will lead the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Flanked by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and outgoing BJP TN chief K Annamalai at a press conference in Guindy here, Shah said, the NDA, under EPS's leadership, will form the next government in Tamil Nadu.
"We will face the 2026 Assembly elections together. The alliance will function under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi nationally and under Edappadi K Palaniswami in Tamil Nadu," Shah said.
Calling it a "natural and time-tested alliance," Shah recalled that the AIADMK had been a key partner of the NDA since 1998, including during the tenure of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
"Together, we have achieved major electoral victories in the past. I am confident we will replicate that success in 2026 and form a coalition government," he added.
While Shah did not confirm whether the BJP would be part of the State Cabinet, he said the decision would be made after the election.
"We are committed to defeating the DMK and forming a people-centric government. The modalities of government formation will be worked out post-election," he said.
Responding to questions about the BJP's role in the internal affairs of the AIADMK, including speculation that the party had urged AIADMK to bring back expelled leaders like O Panneerselvam and AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran, Shah said, "The BJP does not interfere in the internal matters of its allies. Decisions regarding party structure and leadership are entirely up to the AIADMK, " he asserted.
The Home Minister clarified that contentious issues such as NEET and the three-language policy would not impact the alliance's cohesion.
"We will adopt a Common Minimum Programme to address people's real concerns. Our alliance will remain united and focused on governance, unlike the DMK which thrives on disruption and division," he said.
Before taking flight to the national capital, Shah, along with senior BJP leaders, attended a high tea hosted by EPS at his camp office at Greenways road here.