AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Tuesday for a private 15-minute meeting to discuss the potential revival of the AIADMK-BJP alliance in Tamil Nadu, sources told India Today.
The meeting, also attended by senior AIADMK leaders SP Velumani and KP Munusamy, has triggered fresh speculation in Tamil Nadu political circles, especially with assembly elections due in 2026. Sources said EPS placed specific conditions before Shah, primarily insisting that the AIADMK should lead the alliance in the state.
He also reportedly conveyed discomfort with the current leadership structure of the Tamil Nadu BJP, signalling a preference to reduce the role of state BJP president K Annamalai in alliance-related activities. Additionally, EPS downplayed the relevance of sidelined leaders TTV Dhinakaran, VK Sasikala, and O Panneerselvam in the context of any renewed partnership, sources added.
The closed-door meeting came days after EPS made public remarks indicating a willingness to work with “like-minded parties” to defeat the ruling DMK, a statement widely read as a hint towards a possible softening of the AIADMK's stance on the BJP.
However, EPS has previously denied reports of a patch-up. Following the breakdown of the alliance in 2023 over political disagreements, he had firmly stated that the AIADMK would maintain its independence and contest separately in future elections.
So far, neither party has issued an official statement confirming or denying the outcome of the Shah-EPS meeting.
Meanwhile, the BJP, under Annamalai’s leadership, has been projecting itself as a growing force in Tamil Nadu. Annamalai recently claimed the BJP is now a sought-after ally, asserting the party’s rising influence in the state. The next few months could be crucial in shaping the political landscape ahead of 2026.