AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami announced that the party would not form an alliance with the BJP for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. This announcement comes amidst claims from leaders of both parties that a joint AIADMK-BJP front could have achieved significant victories in the recent Lok Sabha elections, potentially affecting the DMK-led INDIA alliance in Tamil Nadu.
In a press interaction in Salem, Palaniswami discussed the party's performance in the Lok Sabha elections, noting that he campaigned solo for AIADMK candidates, whereas the BJP and INDIA alliance had numerous leaders campaigning across the state. Despite facing misinformation and lack of support, Palaniswami stated that AIADMK managed to increase its vote share by 1 percent compared to the 2019 elections, which he viewed as a victory.
Palaniswami also refuted claims of the BJP-led NDA gaining traction in Tamil Nadu, providing data on vote shares to support his assertion. He highlighted that the NDA's vote share decreased from 18.80 percent in 2014 to 18.28 percent in 2024, contradicting the narrative of BJP growth in the state. He emphasized that AIADMK's votes did not transfer to other parties.
Despite this, Palaniswami extended congratulations to Narendra Modi on assuming the office of Prime Minister for the third consecutive term.
Both AIADMK and BJP failed to secure seats in Tamil Nadu during the Lok Sabha elections, while Chief Minister MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its INDIA bloc ally Congress won 22 and 9 seats respectively out of the 40 constituencies in the state.
