BJP By His Side, EPS Begins Tamil Nadu Poll Campaign, Vows to End DMK Rule

Making a strong political pitch ahead of the high-stakes Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu next year, AIADMK Chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) kickstarted his statewide "election yatra" from the party's western stronghold of Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district on Monday. Flanked by senior BJP leaders Nainar Nagendran and L Murugan, EPS made it clear that the AIADMK-BJP alliance is back in full force and promised a "Himalayan victory" in 2026.

Campaigning from atop his green-coloured election bus with the slogan "Protecting People, Redeeming Tamil Nadu", the AIADMK chief launched a scathing attack on the ruling DMK, accusing it of failed promises, deteriorating law and order, and betrayal of the people's trust. He also took up the issue of family politics in DMK.

Calling the AIADMK-BJP tie-up a "natural alliance", EPS said, "This partnership is to do good for the people by effectively implementing Central government schemes. The INDIA alliance is disintegrating, while ours is strong; more parties will join us." 

Rebutting criticism over the BJP alliance, EPS asked, "Didn't MK Stalin ally with the BJP in 1999 and 2001? If you align with the BJP, it's good. But when we do, it's called communal?"

The AIADMK chief took the ruling DMK's narrative head-on, declaring, "MK Stalin must have got a fever seeing today's crowd. People are ready to send this government home."

He also launched a point-by-point assault on DMK's record, accusing it of failing to tackle worsening law and order and not delivering on its 2021 poll promises.

"Power tariff hikes, rise in sexual crimes, murders of elderly couples, custodial deaths - is this the governance people voted for?" he asked, citing incidents from Erode and Sivaganga.
He also took aim at the DMK's flagship 2021 promises:

• "Out of 525 promises, they have fulfilled only 15. Others are fake promises."
• "They promised 150 days of work under the 100-day job scheme. People barely get 50 days."
• "Where is the education loan waiver? What happened to the promise of increasing wages?"

EPS also accused the DMK of shutting down key AIADMK-era welfare schemes, including Amma Mini Clinics and the Free Laptop Scheme. Taking a swipe at the DMK's complaints about the Centre, he continued: "Mr Stalin sounds like a broken record - always blaming the Centre for not releasing funds. But what major projects did the DMK bring to Tamil Nadu when it shared power with the Congress, BJP, and others for 14 years?"

Recalling AIADMK's achievements between 2011 and 2021, EPS said, "We opened 11 medical colleges in a single year, created six new districts, established 40+ colleges for the underprivileged, and launched several farmer welfare schemes. This was a golden era of governance."

Responding to EPS' allegations, DMK Spokesperson TKS Elangovan told NDTV, "In many of the crimes in Tamil Nadu, those arrested are increasingly AIADMK and BJP members. We are unable to fulfil some of the promises only because the Centre is looting the revenue of the state under GST. Earlier, for instance, Tamil Nadu had full control over commercial tax. Now we hardly get 5 to 6% back. BJP-ruled states get the bulk of it".

Crucial Polls

The upcoming elections will be make or break for EPS and the AIADMK.  The party has lost three successive elections after the death of J Jayalalithaa. It snapped ties with the BJP after losing the 2019 and 2021 polls, but both parties drew a blank in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, paving the way for the revival of ties. The AIADMK-led alliance, however, has no major allies, except for the BJP, which does not have a very big presence in the state. 

TVK Chief and actor Vijay has ruled out any alliance with the DMK and BJP directly or indirectly, which has been seen as a hint that he would be open to partnering with the AIADMK minus the BJP. This has led to speculation about the AIADMK choosing this option after dumping the national party, especially since there is a lack of camaraderie among their cadre.

The stumbling block on this route is the question of whether Vijay, who is the chief ministerial face of the TVK, would be okay playing second fiddle to the AIADMK. Some say he might also seek half the Chief Ministerial term.

As things stand today, however, Tamil Nadu is set to witness a four-cornered political clash in 2026, with a battle between the DMK, AIADMK-BJP, TVK, and Director Seeman's NTK.