Premalatha snubs AIADMK over claim on alliance, thanks CM Stalin for tributes to Vijayakanth

CHENNAI: Even as the AIADMK declared that the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) remains part of its alliance and one Rajya Sabha seat would be allotted to the party next year, Premalatha Vijayakanth on Sunday stood by her earlier statement that her party will take a final call on its alliance only by January 2026 and thanked DMK chief MK Stalin instead.

Unlike AIADMK, which expressed keenness to retain DMDK in the alliance, Premalatha remained elusive, expressing gratitude to Chief Minister MK Stalin and the DMK for passing a condolence resolution for late DMDK founder 'Captain' Vijayakanth.

"They paid tributes and stood with us in our moment of grief. We will always remember that," she said, hinting at a possible shift towards the DMK-led front.

Her statement comes in the wake of the AIADMK nominating IS Inbadurai and M Dhanapal as its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha biennial elections and not considering DMDK for the RS seat.

Speaking to reporters at the DMDK headquarters in Koyambedu, Premalatha said, "During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the AIADMK had made a written promise of allocating five Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat to us. Edappadi K Palaniswami gave us this assurance. However, they did not specify when the Rajya Sabha seat would be allotted. Now they say it will be in 2026. As the leading party in the alliance, it is their duty to make such announcements."

Reiterating that politics is intrinsically linked to elections, she added, "Now that the AIADMK has stated its position, the DMDK will also fulfil its duty in 2026, ahead of the Assembly polls. We will announce our alliance decision on January 9, 2026, during our party's state conference in Cuddalore."

The DMDK, she noted, would focus on strengthening its organisational structure over the next six months before making any alliance decisions.

Also Read: AIADMK nominates ex-MLAs Inbadurai and Dhanapal for Rajya Sabha seats