AIADMK Hits Back After Shah Claims NDA Will Form a Coalition Govt in TN

"The NDA will form the government in Tamil Nadu after the 2026 assembly elections and the BJP will be a part of it," Shah replied to a question on whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be part of the coalition government in an interview to Tamil daily Dina Thanthi, which was published on Friday.

- Divya Chandrababu

CHENNAI: Union home minister Amit Shah told a Tamil daily that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will form a coalition government in Tamil Nadu after the 2026 assembly elections, sparking a political controversy and pushback from the Dravidian party on Friday.

Shah also addressed his recent statement on English. "I said the importance of regional languages should increase," he said. "And we should make efforts so that by 2047, all Indians speak in regional languages."

AIADMK spokesperson and former minister C Vaigaichelvan appeared to contradict Shah's statement, saying there was no history of a coalition government in Tamil Nadu. "So far, people of Tamil Nadu have not accepted such a coalition government and it doesn't look like it," Vaigaichelvan said, adding that their common goal was to defeat the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) will speak in detail on the issue, he added.

The BJP and the AIADMK were allies, but had a bitter parting of ways in 2023 over several issues, including former BJP state unit chief K Annamalai's criticism of AIADMK leaders.