Senior AIADMK leader and Rajya Sabha MP M. Thambidurai has categorically dismissed the chances of the BJP being part of a coalition government in Tamil Nadu following the 2026 Assembly polls. Thambidurai reiterated that AIADMK would establish the government on its own if the alliance wins, affirming the party's position against coalition rule in Tamil Nadu.
He referred to the fact that Tamil Nadu has never experienced a coalition government, using the Congress and Dravidian strongmen such as M.G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi as examples, and claimed that the scenario would not change in 2026.
This declaration is in line with the previous comments by AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), who made it clear that the AIADMK-BJP alliance is purely for the 2026 elections and has no governance agreement involved. Palaniswami reacted to media rumors after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement during his Chennai visit, which indicated the likelihood of a coalition government. He explained that Shah had spoken only of the formation of an election alliance, and not of sharing power in Tamil Nadu.
Notwithstanding earlier alliances with the BJP, such as a September 2023 split over controversial remarks from then BJP state president K. Annamalai, AIADMK and BJP have re-established their alliance in April 2025.
The renewed partnership comes after behind-the-scenes talks, with AIADMK demanding a change in leadership within the BJP in Tamil Nadu as a prerequisite for re-uniting. The changeover of Annamalai by Nainar Nagendran as BJP state president has been regarded as a move toward more efficient coordination between the two parties in the run-up to the 2026 polls.
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