CHENNAI: AIADMK had initiated informal talks with actor Vijay’s TVK for a possible alliance for the 2026 assembly election before warming up to BJP recently. The talks held late last year broke down over TVK’s conditions. Multiple sources told TOI that these included: TVK should lead the alliance, Vijay should be projected as chief minister candidate and head the govt for the first half of the tenure if the alliance won, and 50% of the 234 assembly seats for TVK.
An AIADMK delegation, led by general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, recently met Union home minister Amit Shah, signalling renewed interest in aligning with the BJP. “The talks with Vijay’s camp failed. AIADMK, having governed Tamil Nadu for three decades in its 50-year history, views TVK’s demands as unrealistic,” said a senior leader. AIADMK ‘well-wishers’ initiated the talks with TVK.
EPS had greeted the actor after he launched TVK in Feb 2024. The TVK camp remains firm on Vijay being chief ministerial candidate and is ready to go it alone if AIADMK did not agree to its demands. The informal talks began in Nov last year before they fell through. “The AIADMK is not the party it was under MGR and Jayalalithaa and its vote share has drastically dropped after demise of the leaders,” said TVK sources. AIADMK leaders, however, say the party is keeping its options open, given the 2026 assembly election is still several months away.
At the Times Now Summit held on Friday, Amit Shah confirmed that discussions with AIADMK were in progress and details will be made known at the appropriate time.
Meanwhile, BJP state president K Annamalai met Shah, BJP national president J P Nadda, and national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh in New Delhi. Annamalai said he provided feedback to the party leadership, prioritising “welfare of Tamil Nadu” over party interests. “I am ready to work in any position. I am ready to work even as a cadre. I will never cause anyone any trouble,” he told reporters in Delhi on Friday. His second term as state president is still under consideration. The AIADMK had snapped ties with BJP citing his “derogatory remarks” against its leaders.
SDPI, an AIADMK ally, has declared it will not align with either the DMK or the AIADMK should they partner with the BJP for the assembly election.
