AIADMK hints at alliance with Vijay’s TVK as Tamil Nadu gears up for state elections

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief Edappadi K Palaniswami has hinted at an alliance with actor-turned-politician Vijay’s TVK party as Tamil Nadu gears up for the assembly elections to be held in 2026.

Palaniswami pointed at a TVK flag while addressing a rally in Tamil Nadu’s Kumarapalayam constituency, News18 reported.

“People have signaled the auspicious beginning of the alliance,” Palaniswami was quoted as saying, pointing to the TVK flag waved at the rally.

Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Palaniswami further said that a stronger alliance will be formed under the leadership of the AIADMK party which will defeat the ruling DMK led by Chief Minister MK Stalin.

These remarks would have been applauded by those present at the rally.

AIADMK-BJP and TVK alliance

Hints of an alliance are not new, however. In May this year, senior AIADMK leader and MP Kadambur Raju had indicated that TVK might join the AIADMK-BJP alliance.

He had said that the objective of the TVK and the AIADMK was the same, which was to defeat the ruling DMK.

“This is an anti-people government. They came to power by making false election promises. We are facing elections with the aim of sending them home,” Raju was quoted as saying by India Today.

The AIADMK and the BJP had come together to jointly fight the Tamil Nadu elections 2026. The announcement was made by Home Minister Amit Shah on April 11 during his visit to the state.

Vijay had reacted to the alliance by saying he was “not surprised that erstwhile partners AIADMK and BJP” are joining hands again, calling it a partnership due to “coercion”. He added that the real fight, however, was between TVK and DMK.

TVK Karur rally stampede

These new hints of an alliance come at an important time for Vijay and his party as TVK faces criticism and legal action following the deaths of 41 people due to a stampede at the Karur rally on September 27.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear pleas seeking a CBI probe into the matter on October 10. Earlier, the Madras High Court had dismissed the plea stating that the Tamil Nadu Police was investigating the case and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the probe.