Chennai: The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has formally sealed an electoral alliance with the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) faction led by R. Anbumani, setting the stage for a consolidated opposition front for the state assembly elections later this year.
The announcement comes days after Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Tamil Nadu, and eight months after AIADMK joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Political analysts say the tie-up will bring the Vanniyar-centric PMK into the AIADMK-led NDA bloc, reshaping the pre-poll arithmetic in the state.
The alliance was announced after a meeting between AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Anbumani Ramadoss in Chennai. Speaking to media persons, Palaniswami described the partnership as a “natural alliance”.
“The objective of the alliance is to defeat the ruling DMK. The alliance is confident of winning a majority of the 234 seats in the assembly, and AIADMK will form a single majority government after the 2026 elections,” he said.
Anbumani also said that there is visible anger among the public against the DMK government. “During my 100 days of yatra across the state, I could see people’s anger over the DMK government on law & order issues and over the safety of women in the state. The alliance will work towards sending the DMK government back home,” he told media persons.
However, PMK founder Dr Ramadoss said it was wrong on AIADMK’s part to hold alliance talks with his son, Anbumani. “The alliance talks should be held with the president of the party, and it is legally wrong to hold talks with Anbumani when I am here,” Ramadoss told reporters.
The father and son are currently embroiled in a long-running tussle, with each leading rival factions of PMK and claiming to be the rightful president of the party. The rift between the two first began showing in 2022 after disagreement between the two over appointment of party functionaries.
The Election Commission of India had purportedly recognised the Anbumani-led faction, identifying him as party president in a communication to him released by his supporters in September 2025. However, the Ramadoss camp had objected. The matter is now before the Delhi High Court.
Political analyst N. Sathiyamoorthy said it would help the AIADMK-led front in consolidating the Vanniyar vote bank in the northern part of Tamil Nadu.
“However, it is also to be seen which side Dr Ramadoss is going to join for the upcoming elections. If senior Ramadoss sides with the DMK, the Vanniyar vote base is likely to split between DMK and AIADMK,” Sathiyamoorthy told ThePrint.
NDA’s push to finalise partnerships before Pongal
Sources in AIADMK told ThePrint that BJP’s national leadership wants to finalise the alliance before the Pongal festival, which falls on 15 January. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to visit Tamil Nadu then.
“On AIADMK’s part, they held talks with PMK, and are in the process of initiating talks with DMDK (Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam) led by Premalatha Vijayakant. As far as BJP is concerned, they are in talks with AIADMK breakaway leaders T.T.V. Dhinakaran and O. Panneerselvam. The alliance will most likely take final shape before the PM’s visit,” a source in AIADMK said.
However, Dhinakaran and Panneerselvam had hinted at joining Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which was also confirmed by the party’s campaign secretary K.A. Sengottaiyan, a former AIADMK leader.
Meanwhile, former AIADMK minister S.P. Velumani is camping in Delhi to hold seat-sharing talks with BJP’s top leadership. Palaniswami is also likely to travel to the Capital to hold talks with BJP with respect to involving other political parties in the alliance and finalising seat-sharing deal.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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