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The AIADMK and BJP parted ways and contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections independently after Annamalai’s provocative remarks and his anti-Dravidian stance led to tensions between the two parties.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Annamalai and Edappadi K Palaniswami in Chennai. (Photo: X/AmitShah)
After two years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) have formed an alliance again to contest the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections scheduled for next year, announced Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday.
“I came here to give you good news. AIADMK and BJP have decided to fight Tamil Nadu elections together under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA),” said Amit Shah while addressing a press conference alongside outgoing BJP Tamil Nadu chief Annamalai and AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami.
Additionally, Palaniswami will lead the NDA alliance for the upcoming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. “These elections will be contested under the leadership of PM Modi on a national level and under the leadership of AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami on the state level,” Shah added.
The Home Minister further said that AIADMK and the BJP had been part of the NDA since 1998, highlighting that AIADMK stalwart Jayalalithaa and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already worked together. “I am hopeful that NDA will get full majority in Tamil Nadu and form the government,” he added.
The BJP and the AIADMK are committed to protect and promote the language, culture and heritage of Tamil Nadu. The people of Tamil Nadu are fed up with the rampant corruption of the DMK and are determined to oust the corrupt government. The BJP and the AIADMK will jointly go from… pic.twitter.com/GgKME9kBcY— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 11, 2025
BJP-AIADMK Alliance
An alliance between the two parties was already being speculated following reports that Annamalai will quit his position as the BJP state unit chief. However, Amit Shah refuted these reports and said Annamalai is still the president of Tamil Nadu BJP. Shah had previously confirmed that alliance talks are on with the AIADMK after meeting senior leaders like Edappadi K Palaniswami and KA Sengottaiyan within the past 10 days.
The BJP and AIADMK contested together in the 2021 Tamil Nadu elections when Palaniswami was the Chief Minister. However, the NDA lost the elections to DMK and its alliance partners, only managing to win 75 seats out of 234 constituencies. The AIADMK won 66 seats, while the BJP managed only four seats.
On the other hand, the DMK won 133 seats and the Congress, the ruling party’s alliance partner, won 18 seats. In 2023, BJP Tamil Nadu chief Annamalai’s strong remarks against AIADMK leaders J Jayalalithaa and CN Annadurai, along with his anti-Dravidian stance, caused friction that culminated in a split between the BJP and AIADMK.
The two parties went solo in the Lok Sabha and failed to win a single seat in Tamil Nadu. However, the BJP’s vote share in the state increased significantly under Annamalai’s leadership. In the run-up to next year’s Assembly elections, Annamalai has seemingly softened his stance on an alliance with a Dravidian party.
Amit Shah Attacks DMK’s ‘Corrupt Rule’
During the press conference, Amit Shah said the BJP had no conditions or demands from the AIADMK, adding that the alliance was a win-win situation for both parties to form the government and expose the DMK government’s “corruption”.
“They (DMK and opposition parties) are raising the issues of delimitation and NEET to distract the people… We will sit with AIADMK (since their stand on these issues is different from the BJP-led NDA) and discuss with them on these issues and if needed, there will be a common minimum programme,” he added.
Shah assured that the NDA will end DMK’s “corrupt rule” in Tamil Nadu and accused the ruling party of scams worth over Rs 39,000 crore. He said the people will vote on issues of rampant corruption, law and order, and atrocities on Dalits and women by the DMK government.
Speaking to CNN-News18, DMK spokesperson A Sarvanan said the party “welcomed” this alliance as it would help the DMK return to power next year. He also said the people of Tamil Nadu are happy with the DMK’s leadership. However, AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said the alliance marked the final days of DMK rule in Tamil Nadu, asserting that their lies and double standards have been exposed.
