Amit Shah (right) with Edappadi K Palaniswami during a press conference in Chennai recently.
Credit: PTI Photo
Chennai: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday suggested that his party’s alliance with the BJP is only for elections and that there will not be a coalition government in the event of a victory, contradicting Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
While announcing the alliance on April 11 in the presence of Palaniswami, Shah said, “we will form a government together and we will contest the (2026) elections under the leadership of Edappadi K Palaniswami.”
The BJP’s master strategist had also said the contours of the coalition government will be worked out after the elections.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Palaniswami said the two parties will fight together and form a government after elections. “He (Shah) never said it will be a coalition government. You people have misunderstood what he said and made it a huge issue. He never said (BJP) will seek a share in the government,” the former Chief Minister said in response to a question on why the AIADMK agreed to form a coalition government.
Palaniswami also said Shah made it clear that the NDA will be headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the national level and by him (AIADMK chief) in Tamil Nadu. “He was very categorical on this,” he added.
Palaniswami also said the AIADMK inducted BJP into its alliance to ensure that the votes against the DMK government doesn’t get split. “Why should they (DMK) worry about whom we ally with? What’s their concern?” he asked.
Responding to questions about Palaniswami’s contentions, TN BJP chief Nainar Nagendran said any decision on an alliance government will be taken by Shah and Palaniswami.
“It is the Union Home Minister who discussed the alliance with Palaniswami. They will take a call on this issue. I can't answer such questions,” he added.
Shah’s announcement on Friday was surprising as both the DMK and AIADMK have been resisting coalition governments in Tamil Nadu, while they have been part of dispensations at the Centre. Coalition government could become a point of contention between the two parties in the run up to the elections.
Despite winning 20 seats short of a simple majority in 2006, then DMK chief M Karunanidhi preferred to run a minority government with outside support from parties like the Congress.