Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthran unequivocally confirmed that AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) will be the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) Chief Ministerial candidate for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Speaking to reporters in Tiruchirappalli, Nagenthran addressed speculations arising from Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks about a coalition government, clarifying that Palaniswami leads the NDA in Tamil Nadu. “Our NDA alliance’s leader is EPS in Tamil Nadu, and after the completion of the Assembly election, whatever decision they take, that is final,” Nagenthran stated, emphasizing that AIADMK, as the largest party in the alliance, will spearhead the government under Palaniswami’s leadership if victorious.

The announcement comes amid reported tensions between Shah’s repeated advocacy for a coalition government and Palaniswami’s assertions that AIADMK would secure a majority to form the government independently. Nagenthran dismissed any discord, stating, “No one has any regrets,” and explained that Shah’s comments referred to an AIADMK-led alliance government.

Since April 2025, Shah has consistently expressed confidence in the NDA’s prospects, alleging that the ruling DMK, led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, is the “most corrupt government in the country.” The BJP-AIADMK alliance, revived in April 2025 after a fallout in September 2023, aims to capitalize on anti-incumbency sentiments to unseat the DMK, which won 159 seats in the 2021 elections compared to AIADMK’s 66.

Palaniswami, who launched his statewide campaign, “Makkalai Kaappom, Thamizhagathai Meetpom” (Let’s Protect the People, Reclaim Tamil Nadu), on July 7, 2025, from Mettupalayam, has drawn significant crowds, signaling strong public support. The AIADMK-BJP partnership, formalized by Shah in Chennai, is seen as a strategic move to consolidate anti-DMK forces, with Nagenthran hinting that some parties from the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) may join the NDA.

As Tamil Nadu gears up for the 2026 polls, this alliance, under Palaniswami’s leadership, aims to reshape the state’s political landscape by focusing on issues like rising costs, NEET controversies, and law-and-order concerns, positioning itself as a formidable challenger to the DMK’s dominance.

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