AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) at his rally pointed to a couple of flags from actor-politician Vijay’s party Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) flags and said that a grand alliance will soon form in Tamil Nadu to defeat the ruling DMK.
HT had on October 7 reported that the AIADMK is re-opening its channels with Vijay in the aftermath of the Karur stampede where 41 people died since talks between them had failed before the AIADMK re-joined the BJP-led NDA. Now with the BJP courting Vijay despite the actor positioning himself as their ideological enemy, AIADMK --which lacks the support of the young voters-- is aiming to attract Vijay’s votebank. However, Vijay’s team on condition of anonymity say that they still do not want to join hands with any of the major parties but will fight the 2026 assembly elections either alone or with smaller parties.
“Alliance is needed, but the stronger alliance will be the one formed under the leadership of AIADMK,” EPS said at his rally on Wednesday night in Dharmapuri district. “See the flags waving here (of TVK’s). A Pillayar suzhi (a Tamil Hindu symbol written in the beginning of any activity to ensure good luck and success) for the alliance has been marked.” Amid the loud cheers from the crowd, EPS directed his next remark at chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin. “The roar here is going to pierce through your ears. Your plan won’t succeed,” the opposition leader said.
“We are not thinking of alliances now,” Vijay’s team member on condition of anonymity said.
{{/usCountry}}“We are not thinking of alliances now,” Vijay’s team member on condition of anonymity said.
{{/usCountry}}Before the AIADMK led by EPS re-joined the BJP in April, the party’s first option was to bring Vijay to their side. But his demands such as power sharing and being chief minister for the first half of the five year government wasn’t acceptable to the once mighty AIADMK which has weakened with factionalism, turncoats and successive electoral defeats since 2016. So BJP leaders also want to ensure that the leaders in the AIADMK do not consider walking out of the NDA months ahead of the 2026 elections to form an alliance with TVK. Particularly because the Draividan major would have an upper hand over TVK which is on the backfoot after the stampede, said a BJP leader.
Vijay’s advisors have all along wanted him to fight alone (despite being untested in elections) with smaller parties on the promise of forming a coalition government, should they win.
Though Vijay had been unsparring in his speeches against the DMK and BJP, he has not attacked EPS. Not beyond describing the AIADMK as opportunistic for being with the BJP. And the AIADMK general secretary has absolved Vijay of any wrongdoing in Karur and fully blamed the ruling DMK for mismanagement of the crowd.