Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has launched a blistering counteroffensive following Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s April 11 announcement of a revived BJP-AIADMK alliance for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Stalin called it a “corrupt alliance of defeat”, escalating political tensions and drawing sharp ideological battle lines well ahead of the polls.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the political developments and reactions:
Stalin’s Strong Rebuke
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Stalin framed the renewed alliance as one formed under coercion and fear, suggesting that the AIADMK surrendered to the BJP to escape central agency action.
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He said, “Those who pledged the AIADMK out of fear of just two raids are now attempting to mortgage the entire Tamil Nadu.”
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The DMK chief accused the BJP of launching a “calculated plan” to hinder Tamil Nadu’s growth and impose North Indian ideologies like Hindi imposition and the three-language policy.
On Amit Shah and the Alliance’s Legitimacy
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Stalin criticized Amit Shah’s press conference as “unworthy of a constitutional office,” claiming the Union Minister failed to provide clear answers on state-sensitive issues like:
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NEET, which Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed.
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Waqf Act concerns
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Language imposition and education policies
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He raised a pointed question: If the AIADMK is now aligned with the BJP again, does it now support the very policies it once opposed, including NEET?
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Taking a dig at Shah’s dismissive tone on NEET opposition, Stalin asked, “Are the over 20 Tamil students who died by suicide over NEET just distractions?”
Targeting the AIADMK
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Stalin described the AIADMK as a "bonded slave camp", alleging they are forced into alliance and lack self-respect.
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He invoked Jayalalithaa’s corruption record, asking how the BJP could now ally with her party while claiming to fight corruption.
Responses from Others
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TTV Dhinakaran, chief of AMMK, welcomed the alliance and aligned himself with the NDA, saying they are determined to “eradicate DMK” in line with Jayalalithaa’s legacy.
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Actor-politician Vijay, leading Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), responded with thinly veiled sarcasm, calling the AIADMK-BJP tie-up a “compulsion”, not conviction.
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He suggested the real fight is now between TVK and DMK, implying that AIADMK and BJP have become politically irrelevant.
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Interestingly, Vijay also alleged that DMK and BJP share a secret understanding, implying that both parties use rivalry as “eyewash.”
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Political Implications
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This sudden revival of the BJP-AIADMK alliance, after a public breakup in 2023, has dramatically reshaped Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.
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While Shah’s declaration projects EPS (Edappadi K. Palaniswami) as the face of the NDA in Tamil Nadu, the strong opposition from Stalin and growing ambition from TVK sets up a high-stakes three-way contest.
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The NEET issue, along with language, corruption, and federalism, is likely to become a central theme in the run-up to 2026.
