Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai

Chennai, Apr 17: Senior AIADMK leader and Rajya Sabha MP M. Thambidurai on Thursday firmly ruled out any possibility of a coalition government with the BJP in Tamil Nadu, stating that the AIADMK is committed to forming the government independently if victorious in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Speaking to the media, Thambidurai underscored Tamil Nadu’s long-standing political culture of single-party rule. “From Rajaji and Kamaraj to MGR and Karunanidhi — Tamil Nadu has never had a coalition government. That won’t change. In 2026, Edappadi K. Palaniswami will form the government without any power-sharing arrangement,” he said.

His comments echoed the stance taken a day earlier by AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), who clarified that the party’s alliance with the BJP is limited strictly to the election front and not governance.

EPS made the clarification following a walkout in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, where AIADMK’s no-confidence motion against the DMK government was refused. Addressing reporters, he rejected speculation about forming a joint government with the BJP, attributing it to misinterpretation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks during his recent Chennai visit.

“Amit Shah never mentioned anything about a coalition government. We are in an electoral alliance, and that’s it,” EPS emphasized.

He added that Prime Minister Modi will lead the NDA nationally, while he will lead the alliance in Tamil Nadu — a structure consistent with previous election partnerships in the state.

The renewed AIADMK-BJP alliance, announced on April 11, 2025, came after the two parties parted ways in September 2023. A key factor in the reconciliation was the BJP’s decision to replace its controversial state president K. Annamalai with veteran leader Nainar Nagendran — a move reportedly demanded by the AIADMK to restore mutual trust and ensure coordination ahead of the 2026 elections.