Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Friday that the BJP and E Palaniswami-led AIADMK will contest the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections in alliance as part of the NDA.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching To The Point. I'm Preeti Chaudhary.
00:02The big development today. Finally, after days of deliberation, it's happened.
00:08Tamil Nadu has a new political alliance.
00:10The state of war in Tamil Nadu is only but heating up one year before elections.
00:15We were speculations around what was a potential BJP-AIDMK alliance
00:20and now which has been inked for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
00:24Union Home Minister Amit Shah, currently in Chennai, confirmed that the AIDMK and the BJP
00:31will contest the 2026 Assembly elections together as part of the NDA alliance.
00:38While addressing a joint gathering of BJP and AIDMK leaders, Shah stated that the elections will be led nationally
00:45by Prime Minister Modi and in Tamil Nadu by Ederpadi K. Palaniswami and the AIDMK.
00:51Shah also launched a scathing attack on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin,
00:56accusing the DMK government of being involved in multiple scams,
00:59including what he alleged was a liquor and cash for jobs scandal.
01:21This is the K.K.
01:22This is the K.K.
01:26Okay, we will know you guys,
01:36that's why you suddenly came to me and I got to know you guys,
01:43केड़ा पाडी जी के नेत्रूतों में लड़ा जाएगा एक प्रकार से 1998 से AIDM के NDA गठवन्दन का हिस्सा है और लंबे समय तक मोदी जी और महान जैललिता जी ने साथ में मिलकर राष्ट्रिय राधनिती में काम किया है
02:09इस जरावी सच बात ने अज भी Aanna Malai, state president. That is why he is sitting with me.
02:39State President Nainar Nagindran.
02:41What happens to Anna Malai?
02:43Well, sitting right next to Amit Shah.
02:45Lots of questions and speculations there.
02:47So the questions that we asked this evening
02:49before we cut across to our guests.
02:51The BJP-AIDMK alliance of convenience.
02:54It's happened before.
02:55One thing is very clear.
02:56The BJP and AIDMK have been friends with benefits,
03:00nothing too permanent.
03:01And that has been witnessed in India's political history
03:04where Tamil Nadu was concerned.
03:07The AIDMK, the Lok Sabha elections went solo
03:10and now when it comes down to the state elections
03:12we'll be fighting in alliance with the BJP.
03:15That brings us to our second question.
03:17Will Anna Malai be accommodated at the centre?
03:19Because clearly both Mr. Ramit Shah and the Prime Minister,
03:24Mr. Narendra Modi, very, very fond of Anna Malai.
03:26He was collateral in the alliance coming together
03:31because it seemed, sources tell us,
03:33the AIDMK had put a condition to this alliance
03:36and that was that Anna Malai stepped down.
03:39Why so?
03:39Because we were able to remember
03:40how the alliance had fallen out as well.
03:43Was possibly the AIDMK very angry with Anna Malai
03:46for calling Jail Alitha corrupt.
03:48What happens to him now?
03:49Lots of speculation there.
03:50The third question that we ask,
03:52will Tamil Nadu now be a three-cornered contest?
03:54Why do I ask that question?
03:56Well, it does seem the AIDMK coming in with the BJP.
04:01That's one corner taken.
04:02The other corner, of course, the India Alliance,
04:04which you'll have the DMK and the Congress fighting in.
04:08Now, the third corner contest.
04:10Why?
04:10Because primarily you have actor Vijay,
04:13who is seen as one of the rising political stars in Tamil Nadu.
04:18And if recent surveys are to go by,
04:20he could be a force to contend with.
04:22So will Tamil Nadu now be a three-cornered contest?
04:26Let's take all these questions to our panelists this evening.
04:29Shekhar Iyer, senior journalist, joining me.
04:31Sumant Raman, political analyst, will be with us in just a short while.
04:35T.S. Sudhir, columnist and political analyst.
04:38T.S. Sudhir, let's begin with you.
04:39It was something that was speculated, but very much expected.
04:43Practically gone down to the T,
04:46where one thing was very clear that Anna Malai, you know,
04:50could have been the collateral in all of this,
04:52but still very, very close to the top BJP brass.
04:55Well, yes, I mean, I think the BJP has decided to move on from Anna Malai
05:01as far as Tamil Nadu political affairs are concerned.
05:04And I think that's the template that's going to play out over the next one year.
05:07Nainar Magidran is slated to become the next BJP chief.
05:11And that would be music to the AIDMK years
05:13because he comes from the AIDMK.
05:15So in that sense,
05:17the synergy between the AIDMK top leadership
05:20and the BJP unit in Tamil Nadu
05:22would expectantly be much better
05:25than it was under Anna Malai's leadership in Tamil Nadu before 2023.
05:30Having said that,
05:32why was this alliance so important?
05:34Obviously, the alliance was important
05:35because of what happened in 2024.
05:37Both the BJP and the AIDMK realized
05:39that fighting separately is only going to give
05:42the election on a platter to the DMK-led alliance.
05:45And therefore, they need to come together
05:46in order to ensure that at least on paper,
05:49one plus one becomes two.
05:51So the question is now whether the arithmetic will work
05:54and if the arithmetic will work,
05:55more importantly,
05:56whether the chemistry will work between the two parties.
05:58And that is, I think, the more important question,
06:01whether the cadre of the two parties
06:03and whether the voters in Tamil Nadu
06:05actually believe the AIDMK and the BJP.
06:08What Amir Shah said today in Chennai
06:10is that the two parties are there for the long haul.
06:13Whether the voters believe what the union home minister said,
06:16whether the cadre of the two parties also believe
06:19that it would make sense for them to transfer
06:21their votes to the other party,
06:23depending on which constituency gets which party's candidate.
06:26That's, I think, the election would largely depend on that
06:29because a lot is being made about how
06:31both the BJP and the AIDMK are very strong
06:34in the western part of Tamil Nadu.
06:36And therefore, it would be pretty much a walk in the park
06:38as far as the Kongu belt is concerned.
06:40My point is that whether a candidate,
06:45for example, of the AIDMK,
06:46who has nursed his or her constituency for years together,
06:49whether he or she will be willing to give it
06:51on a platter to the BJP
06:52and actually work for that party's candidate,
06:55a lot in this election will depend on
06:57whether this synergy actually happens
07:00on the ground in the summer of 2026.
07:03You know, Shikhar Raya,
07:04it was, like I said,
07:05we've debated it multiple times as a possibility.
07:08It was only, you know, a matter of time.
07:11But how do you think this alliance could play out?
07:15Because even on basic ideological issues,
07:17the AIDMK is standing against the BJP.
07:20Let's look at, you know, what's happened off late
07:21where, you know, that anti-VUK resolution was passed.
07:25You had the AIDMK standing with the DMK,
07:28be it on delimitation with the DMK,
07:31the two-language policy with the DMK.
07:33Well, Preeti, you know, they are coming together
07:38because they could be worse off without being together.
07:42That's one of the main reasons.
07:44Essentially, to prevent a split in opposition votes,
07:48because that would give,
07:50if that were to happen,
07:51DMK would have a complete sweep.
07:53DMK has been talking about 200 seats plus.
07:56And coincidentally,
07:58this today's development happened
07:59because Amit Shah decided to travel to Chennai
08:03and not return until this alliance is publicly announced.
08:07He reached there last night
08:09and throughout this day,
08:11there were, you know,
08:11his announcements were delayed,
08:13his press conference was delayed
08:14until they could manage EPS coming out
08:19to meet Amit Shah in his hotel.
08:22And then EPS in turn inviting Amit Shah
08:25to his residence for a high tea.
08:26You know, these are, these are,
08:29I would say, very symbolic,
08:31but they do convey a period
08:33of very difficult negotiations.
08:35And one main thing that is coming out today,
08:37as far as all these issues that have been mentioned,
08:39work bill, your three-language formula,
08:44new education policy,
08:46Amit Shah today announced, you know,
08:47they are going to go for a common minimum program.
08:50That's a very big development.
08:51And second thing is he repeatedly said
08:55the alliance would fight under the leadership of EPS.
08:59So EPS would be the chief minister's face.
09:01You know, that's another condition of EPS
09:04was that he should remain the face of this alliance.
09:07So the BJP has gone on for this agreement
09:09because they consider three states
09:12are very important in this next year.
09:14That is Bengal, Tabernod and Kerala.
09:17And these are the three states
09:18where the opposition is very strong.
09:20So they were willing to walk the extra mile
09:22to see that the three states,
09:24the ruling parties do not have it easy.
09:27Now, how difficult it is going to get for DMK?
09:29Well, there are internal thermoils in DMK.
09:31And coincidentally, today is a day
09:33Stalin had to sack
09:35one of his very powerful aid,
09:37Ponnimudi, as the deputy general secretary of DMK
09:39because he had made some sexist remarks
09:42which was objected to by Kadi Muri.
09:45And the person who has replaced Ponnimudi
09:49is Mr. Tirichi Siva
09:51who is not exactly in the Kadi Muri camp.
09:54He belongs to the other camp.
09:57So there are interesting things happening within DMK.
09:59While we are focused on BJP, ADNK,
10:02all these developments will bring pressure on Stalin
10:04on the alliance.
10:06And also there is one more development, Preeti.
10:07That is the turmoil in the Patalimakal Kachi
10:12between the father, Dr. Ramadhaas and his son,
10:15Dr. Anupamdi Ramadhaas, who was a union minister
10:18both in UPA and DMK.
10:20The father wants to go with DMK
10:21and the son wants to go with BJP-ADNK alliance.
10:24So there is a lot happening in Tamil Nadu.
10:26It's just not about BJP-ADNK alliance.
10:29Well, a lot happening
10:30and we're going to touch on every facet.
10:31The two other questions,
10:32we're going to come back and address,
10:34which is, of course, what comes of Anna Malai.
10:36And the other big one is,
10:38will it be a three-cornered contest,
10:40which at least seems poised as one.
10:42But Subantra, you know,
10:44you've always had one of the juiciest conspiracy theories
10:46in all of this,
10:48that this is all an attempt to let this election
10:50coming next year go by
10:51and ultimately cannibalize the AIDMK
10:54and take the position of the AIDMK
10:57in years to come
10:58where Tamil Nadu is concerned for the BJP.
11:01Look, even now,
11:04when I know it from sources in the AIDMK,
11:07they are still quite wary.
11:09They are going into this in good faith,
11:11but they are still wary
11:12of what the BJP's real intention is,
11:15which is why, you know,
11:17there was a press conference
11:18that was supposed to be at 12 o'clock.
11:19Two, three things are important points
11:21have been conceded by the BJP.
11:22One, that the AIDMK will lead the NDA in Tamil Nadu.
11:27Mr. EPS will be the chief ministerial face.
11:30And most importantly,
11:31also, the part which was allergic to Mr. EPS
11:35of readmitting OPS or TTV Dhinakaran
11:38or Shashikala into the party,
11:40Mr. Amit Shah made it clear,
11:41he said those are internal matters of the AIDMK.
11:44So, I think that those three are key demands for EPS.
11:49They have been conceded.
11:50Now, it is for the BJP.
11:52It is to see how the central government
11:54would turn the screws on the DMK government.
11:57Now, Mr. Amit Shah, you know,
11:59has been saying since yesterday,
12:01huge corruption, huge corruption.
12:03And the people quite honestly are asking him,
12:05what were you doing?
12:06What was the central agencies doing for so many years
12:08if this government has been so hugely corrupt?
12:10And I don't think for a moment anybody in Tamil Nadu believes the government is not corrupt.
12:15But the point is, what has the center been doing?
12:17Which is why the conspiracy theorists like me have been out in force,
12:22saying that nothing has been done,
12:24the screws have not been turned,
12:26and at best, you know,
12:28one or two sporadic enforcement directorate raids,
12:31followed by complete silence.
12:33So, now, in the next one year,
12:36are we going to see any action?
12:37Is the 2G appeal going to be speeded up by the prosecuting agency?
12:42Lots and lots of things.
12:43So, that's why I said, you know,
12:44my sources in the ADMK said,
12:47for today, they are cautiously optimistic,
12:50but they still do not have implicit trust in the BJP's intentions.
12:55All right.
12:56You know, I'll bring back Tia Sudhir into this conversation.
12:58And, you know, Tia Sudhir,
12:59the fact is this is going to be a three-cornered contest,
13:01but do you think this could have been the best case scenario for the DMK?
13:05Because the possibility of having actor Vijay along with the AIDMK,
13:08which at one point of time was contended with,
13:11could have been way worse.
13:12Of, you know, political fallout for the DMK.
13:16Well, actor Vijay and his TVK
13:18is pretty much of an untested electoral commodity in Tamil Nadu.
13:21So, we really do not know whether this one-man party
13:23would really be able to set Tamil Nadu's politics on fire.
13:26We, of course, saw the C voter survey
13:29which switched him at number two
13:31as far as the CM standings are concerned.
13:33But I wouldn't really make much of it.
13:35At this point in time,
13:36I think people generally vote for the party
13:39which has the best chance of coming to power in an election.
13:41And at this time,
13:43I don't think Vijay ticks all the boxes
13:45as far as that particular factor is concerned.
13:47But yes, for the AIDMK and the BJP,
13:49this was the best possibility, as I said earlier.
13:52For the DMK, now this makes it a more of a tight contest.
13:55They would realize that the two parties,
13:57if they are able to synergize better,
13:59they would put up a formidable challenge
14:01in many of the constituencies,
14:02especially in the southern part of Tamil Nadu
14:04and to an extent even in the northern part.
14:07So if that really happens,
14:09the DMK will have to get its Electoral Act,
14:11Political Act much together
14:13in many of the districts
14:14and many of the constituencies.
14:16They have one year to do that.
14:17But the fact that the BJP and the AIDMK
14:19have announced this one year in advance
14:21also shows that the NDA wants to ensure
14:24that they are as an alliance together
14:26for the next one year
14:27so that the people also realize
14:29that they are in it seriously.
14:32Of course, talks will also have to be conducted
14:34with the smaller parties.
14:35Shekhar mentioned the problems
14:37which are taking place in a smaller party
14:39like the PMK between the father and the son.
14:41Very ironic that the father actually
14:43undertook a coup of sorts,
14:45a political coup of sorts
14:46against his son Anbhumari Ramda.
14:48So all those problems
14:49will also have to be sorted out.
14:50So the BJP here trying to be more like
14:52some kind of a glue,
14:53trying to sort out problems
14:55while projecting Adhapadi Parani Swami
14:57as the leader.
14:58How this plays out
14:59and what would in case
15:01the NDA does not manage
15:02to unseat the DMK-led alliance
15:04in Tamil Nadu,
15:05what it would mean for the AI-DMK
15:07that would be very significant.
15:09And I think that's where
15:10the kind of conspiracy theorist
15:11Sumanth has been coming up
15:12would really come into play.
15:15Well, he's at least open about it.
15:17And Shekhar I have to pull you back
15:18into this conversation.
15:19Do you concur with T.A. Sudhir
15:21where he says, you know,
15:23actor Vijay untested right now.
15:25We don't know
15:26whether it's more hype than substance.
15:29Do you concur with that?
15:30Yeah, at this moment,
15:33you know,
15:34Vijay is, you know,
15:35foreign to politics
15:36at this juncture.
15:38And he's still not able
15:39to give his full time
15:40because there is one more film
15:41that's still under production
15:43that will probably release
15:44around Deepavali.
15:46And that's the time
15:46he will get free.
15:47But he has been holding
15:48party meetings.
15:49But the big conspiracy theory,
15:51Priti,
15:52which is being shared by
15:53that Vijay himself
15:55is a prop of the DMK
15:56to split the words.
15:57Because the film business
15:59in Tamil Nadu is such
16:00and the ruling family
16:02in DMK
16:02has a big hand
16:03in the film industry.
16:05So no actor,
16:06politician
16:07can actually get
16:08into electoral politics
16:10and Rajini Kaat
16:10had a similar problem.
16:12So there is a lot
16:13of stories about
16:13why actor Vijay,
16:15who is behind him,
16:16why has he come
16:17on the scene
16:17and whom is he benefiting
16:18actually by dividing
16:20the opposition votes.
16:22Well, so it's
16:23conspiracy theory
16:24after conspiracy theory.
16:25Yes, I know Mr. Raman,
16:26come in, come in,
16:27make your point.
16:27Yeah, yeah.
16:28Yeah, yeah.
16:28I mean, Vijay is
16:29jocularly referred to
16:31as a work-from-home politician
16:32because he doesn't seem
16:33to enjoy the rough
16:35and tumble of politics.
16:36So even when there
16:37were floods,
16:38the victims of the floods
16:39were taken to his house
16:40to receive relief material.
16:42So the joke about him
16:44is he's not really,
16:45you know,
16:46entered the fray
16:47full-fledged
16:47in terms of going out,
16:48meeting the people
16:49and so on.
16:50We don't know
16:50what, you know,
16:52what share he would carry.
16:54The other point
16:55is about the PMK
16:56and remember
16:58the BJP,
16:59the center
17:00has the index
17:01medical college case
17:02against Dr. Anbhumani Ramadas
17:03which is the CBI.
17:05So there is a way
17:06of concentrating
17:07Dr. Anbhumani's mind
17:08very well
17:09if they turn up
17:10the heat on that case.
17:12But all of these things
17:13are, you know,
17:14where we don't know
17:15what the BJP
17:16actually wants to do.
17:18So they have the,
17:19I mean,
17:20the way the agencies
17:20have gone after
17:21the leaders of
17:22Aam Army Party
17:23or the TMC
17:25or, you know,
17:27the JMM
17:27and so on.
17:28And here you,
17:29they've hardly been active
17:30in four years.
17:31So now there are
17:33going to be questions
17:34from the AIDMK
17:35if that lethargic
17:37approach continues,
17:39then the people
17:39would really want to know
17:40what is the BJP's
17:41real game
17:42if they're not
17:42actually going
17:43whole hog.
17:44But one last point,
17:45Priti,
17:45and that is about
17:46Mr. Nainar Nagendran,
17:47the new state BJP chief.
17:49He comes from
17:50southern Tamil Nadu.
17:51He was an ex-AIA
17:53DMK minister
17:54and left the party
17:55only in 2017
17:57to join the BJP.
17:58So he has
17:59very good equations
18:00with the AIDMK
18:01high command.
18:02And so this issue
18:03of seat sharing
18:04and all that
18:05is likely to be
18:05much smoother
18:06than it would have been
18:07potentially under Mr. Annamalai.
18:09You know,
18:09I want to get
18:10all three of you
18:10and I want to give you
18:11just 30 seconds.
18:12I apologize.
18:13That's all the time
18:13I have for now.
18:14What comes of
18:15Annamalai,
18:16the former state chief
18:17for the BJP?
18:18T.A. Sudhir.
18:20Well, I think,
18:20I mean,
18:21if Amir Shah's tweet
18:22is anything to go by,
18:23he would be given
18:23some kind of
18:24a national role
18:24because given
18:26the kind of popularity
18:27he has as,
18:29I mean,
18:29he's seen
18:30especially on social media,
18:32his supporters
18:32would need to be told
18:33that he has not been
18:34sidelined,
18:34that he has been
18:35given a different role.
18:36And I think that should
18:37do for the time being
18:38because right now
18:39they are putting
18:39all eggs in the
18:40AIDMK basket
18:41and Nainar Nagendran
18:42as the BJP man
18:43to coordinate with them.
18:45Shekhar Aya,
18:46what do you reckon?
18:46You know,
18:47will he be pulled
18:47back into the center
18:48a more national role now?
18:51No,
18:51Annamalai will remain
18:52in Tamil Nadu,
18:53but with the election
18:54of the new
18:54national BJP president,
18:56which is to happen
18:57shortly,
18:58it is quite possible
18:59he may be in the
19:00new team of office bearers,
19:01possibly what I am hearing
19:02is he could be
19:03one of the new
19:04general secretaries.
19:05And later,
19:06you know,
19:06this is a tactical
19:07withdrawal of Annamalai.
19:09This is not a,
19:10he cannot be sidelined
19:11and he will be
19:11very active
19:12in the campaign.
19:13I don't think,
19:14and the fact that
19:15Amit Shah made it
19:18a point to say
19:19in a tweet
19:20that he has
19:21contributed
19:21to the growth
19:23of BJP in Tamil Nadu
19:24and he is part
19:24of that framework,
19:25the infrastructure
19:26of BJP.
19:27That's a very
19:28important message
19:28and also
19:29where a specific
19:30question was,
19:31he said,
19:31look,
19:31he's by my side.
19:33So,
19:33and because they
19:34wanted to send
19:35a message
19:35that they are not
19:36going for a change
19:38of the alliance
19:39is happening
19:39because Annamalai
19:40is being removed.
19:41So,
19:41Annamalai will remain
19:42but he will have
19:43a national role also
19:44and it's quite possible
19:45in the months to come
19:46if there is a
19:47rajasabha vacancy
19:48he may be elected
19:49to the upper house
19:50and probably
19:50given a ministerial charge.
19:52That's a fair lot
19:53but Suman Draman
19:54is shaking his head.
19:55He doesn't agree with you.
19:56Go ahead,
19:57Mr. Rambal.
19:57No,
19:58Mr. Amit Shah
19:58was asked this question
19:59at the press conference today.
20:01They asked him,
20:02will Mr. Annamalai
20:02continue in Tamil Nadu
20:03or will he go to Delhi?
20:05And his answer to that was,
20:07can you please
20:07allow us
20:08to manage
20:09our internal party affairs?
20:10He did not answer
20:11that question
20:12with an explicit
20:12you know
20:13whether he would
20:14remain in Tamil Nadu.
20:15See,
20:15there is a great amount
20:17of negative sentiment
20:19between Mr. Annamalai
20:20and the AIADMK Kader.
20:21So,
20:22throwing him
20:22into the campaign
20:23is not going to go down
20:24very well
20:25with the AIADMK.
20:26What I heard
20:27from multiple sources
20:28is that he would be
20:29become a national secretary,
20:31not a general secretary
20:32but he would become
20:33a national secretary
20:34of the party
20:35and you know
20:36basically operate
20:38out of Delhi
20:38and play a low-key role
20:40until the 2026
20:42assembly election
20:42because they don't
20:43really want him
20:44you know,
20:46taking the limelight
20:47away from the
20:48alliance.
20:49That's very important.
20:49Well,
20:50the fact is both
20:51you know,
20:52the Prime Minister
20:52and the Home Minister
20:53are very,
20:53very fond of
20:54Annamalai
20:55so whatever it is
20:56even if it's
20:56you know,
20:57a back step
20:59or sorts
21:00it's going to be temporary.
21:02But I appreciate
21:03all three gentlemen
21:03for joining us.
21:04There is only going to get
21:05more interesting
21:06in times
21:06to come.
21:08One year away though.
21:09That's still one year away.
21:10You know,
21:11we always just look at it.
21:12We discuss Tamil Nadu
21:13as much as we are discussing
21:14Behar.
21:14Similar amount of news
21:15coming in
21:16from the state
21:17of Tamil Nadu.
21:18We'll keep our eyes clean
21:19getting you the latest.