Addressing the media in Tiruvannamalai on Saturday, AMMK founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran claimed that the visible display of actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party flags during AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s state-wide campaign tour reveals a clear desperation within the AIADMK to secure an alliance with Vijay for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, potentially as part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Dhinakaran emphasized that despite Palaniswami’s apparent eagerness, actor Vijay had publicly declared at a state conference in Madurai in August that any electoral alliance for the 2026 polls would be under his leadership. This presents a significant hurdle for any potential collaboration.
He further asserted that the AIADMK leader’s overt desperation merely underscores his party’s diminishing influence. ‘Given this situation,’ Dhinakaran commented, ‘either the AIADMK chief or Mr. Vijay would need to relinquish their ambition to lead the alliance, which seems highly improbable. Personally, I don’t foresee Vijay joining an NDA alliance led by Mr. Palaniswami.’
Dhinakaran also challenged Palaniswami’s recent declarations of loyalty to the BJP, a loyalty supposedly stemming from the national party’s support in stabilizing his government after the passing of former Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa in 2016. Dhinakaran pointedly questioned, ‘If the AIADMK leader genuinely claims loyalty to the BJP, then why did he exit the NDA alliance during the critical 2024 Parliamentary elections, a period vital for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s re-election?’
Regarding the Tamil Nadu government’s plea to the Supreme Court against a CBI probe into the Karur stampede, Dhinakaran defended the action. He stated that the government’s stance was aimed at safeguarding the morale of police personnel and reinforcing public trust in the state’s police force. He added that such a practice of defending state agencies has long been observed in neighboring states like Kerala and Karnataka.