AIADMK Hits Back After Shah Claims NDA Coalition

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.

- Divya Chandrababu

CHENNAI:

"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 BJP will be part of the coalition government in an interview to Tamil daily Dina Thanthi, which was published 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).