Amit Shah Tamil Nadu visit: AIADMK back in NDA, to jointly contest state assembly polls with BJP

Union Home Minister Amit Shah today confirmed that the AIADMK and BJP will contest the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections as part of the NDA alliance. During the announcement Shah was on stage with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and the former state BJP president K Annamalai.

“This election will be led nationally by Narendra Modi and in Tamil Nadu by EPS and AIADMK,” Shah said, addressing a gathering of BJP and AIADMK leaders.

Shah also pointed out that the AIADMK has been part of the NDA since 1998, and that Prime Minister Modi and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had worked together in the past.

Meanwhile Nainar Nagendran, BJP MLA from Tirunelveli, is set to take over as the new president of the party’s Tamil Nadu unit. On April 11, Nagendran filed his nomination for the role, with the official announcement expected on April 12 from BJP headquarters in Delhi. His nomination was unopposed, with endorsements from key party leaders including current president K. Annamalai, Union Minister L Murugan, Pon Radhakrishnan, and Vanathi Srinivasan.

Nagendran’s imminent elevation is expected to ease tensions between the BJP and the AIADMK, with the latter parting ways with the alliance over alleged rifts with Annamalai’s leadership. The BJP’s outgoing chief, Annamalai, had strained relationships with AIADMK leadership, especially E. Palaniswami.

A veteran politician, Nagendran is from Tirunelveli in southern Tamil Nadu and belongs to the powerful Thevar community. His past experience includes being a minister in the AIADMK government under J. Jayalalithaa and O. Panneerselvam. His prior affiliation with the AIADMK, along with his regional and community roots, is seen as an advantage in reviving the alliance between the two parties.

Also Read: Will BJP and AIADMK Join Hands Again? 2026 Tamil Nadu Elections in Focus

Since joining the BJP in 2017, Nainar Nagendran has held the position of state vice president and contested two Lok Sabha elections. He has won the Tirunelveli Assembly seat thrice and enjoys robust grassroot support. His presence standing next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the opening of the Pamban Bridge in Rameswaram reflected his increasing standing in the party.

Nagendran’s appointment comes during Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Tamil Nadu, a development that marks the BJP’s willingness to revamp its leadership in the state for improved poll performance. Annamalai had recently announced that he would resign and not attempt to remain as state chief, clearing the decks for a leadership change meant to revive the party’s political fortunes before the 2026 state polls.