AIADMK names EPS as NDA's CM candidate, leaves door open for rebels with 'conditional clause'

The party's general council moved a resolution saying anyone joining AIADMK alliance has to accept the leadership of Palaniswami.

Chennai: Putting its seal of approval on the alliance with BJP, the AIADMK’s powerful General Council (GC) on Wednesday resolved that general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami will steer the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to a historic victory in the 2026 elections and pave the way for the party to form a “majority government” in 2026.  

The party also utilised the GC meeting to assert its dominance in the NDA in Tamil Nadu by vesting “full and absolute authority” in Palaniswami to determine coalition partners, exercise complete control over seat-sharing arrangements, and shape a winnable alliance framework – a clear message to the BJP that it cannot call shots all the time. This is also to counter the DMK’s narrative that the AIADMK has surrendered to the BJP.

The GC meeting also stayed firm on not re-admitting rebel leaders such as V K Sasikala, T T V Dhinakaran, and O Panneerselvam into the AIADMK, but opened the door for them to join the NDA but with a caveat. Anyone joining the AIADMK alliance has to accept the leadership of Palaniswami and align with the common goal of “defeating” the DMK, one of the resolutions passed at the meeting said.

Though OPS might be willing to join the NDA at the prodding of the BJP, the AIADMK’s reassertion is sure to alienate Dhinakaran, who is adamant that he will not accept the leadership of Palaniswami. The development is likely to further push Dhinakaran towards actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam which is preparing to contest the April-May 2026 elections independently. 

By targeting the DMK, the AIADMK also sent a message to Vijay that the primary contest in the 2026 polls will be between the two Dravidian majors, not between DMK and TVK as the actor-politician has been projecting. 

“With decades of proven administrative capability, the AIADMK will anchor an NDA-led alliance committed to safeguarding democratic values and ensuring the welfare of the people…The council unanimously declared that the forthcoming electoral battle will be led by the AIADMK,” one of the resolutions read. 

The resolutions come amid efforts by the BJP to bring back OPS and TTV into the NDA ahead of the elections. Despite the AIADMK and BJP coming together once again for an electoral alliance in April, the NDA has not yet expanded in the state with many parties dithering on joining the alliance. 

In his speech, Palaniswami asserted that the AIADMK was fighting the polls on its “individual strength” unlike the DMK which he said depended on its allies for winning elections. As many as 11 of the 16 resolutions tore into the DMK on a slew of issues, while one asked the Centre to approve metro projects to Madurai and Coimbatore and another indirectly condemened the I.N.D.I.A. bloc’s impeachment notice against justice G R Swaminathan. 

“The NDA will win 210 seats in Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK will form a majority government on its own,” Palaniswami said, contradicting BJP leaders who continue to maintain that there will be a coalition government if the NDA were to win the elections. 

He also said the AIADMK-BJP’s combined vote share from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls is about 41 per cent and the alliance will be strengthened to ensure that the DMK is defeated.