AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) kickstarted his campaign for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections from Coimbatore on Monday, in the presence of Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran and Union Minister of State L. Murugan.
The launch marked a renewed show of strength for the AIADMK-BJP alliance, despite visible strains in recent months over leadership dynamics and future power-sharing.
Coimbatore, a traditional AIADMK stronghold in western Tamil Nadu, was carefully chosen as the launchpad for the campaign. The first leg of the tour will cover 38 Assembly constituencies across the western, northern, and central parts of the state.
Palaniswami, addressing supporters atop a specially modified campaign vehicle, came out strongly in defence of the alliance with the BJP, asserting that the partnership was forged “only in the interests of Tamil Nadu.”
He hit out at Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the DMK for their criticism, accusing them of double standards.
“When the BJP allies with the DMK, it’s called a secular partnership. When we do the same, it becomes communal. Stalin should remember that his father, the late M. Karunanidhi, aligned with the BJP in 1999 and 2001. The hypocrisy is clear,” Palaniswami charged.
In a blistering attack on the ruling DMK, Palaniswami accused the government of betraying public trust and failing to deliver on its electoral promises.
“This government has done nothing but mislead the people. The time has come to end this anti-people regime,” he said.
Taking a swipe at Stalin’s leadership, he remarked, “I believe Stalin must be trembling after seeing this campaign launch. He may even come down with a fever tomorrow.”
The presence of Nainar Nagendran and L. Murugan during the launch highlighted the BJP’s commitment to the alliance.
Significantly, the chemistry between the two parties appears to have improved since Nagendran’s appointment as BJP state chief.
Notably, such bonhomie was absent during the tenure of his predecessor, K. Annamalai, whose assertive style had led to tensions within the alliance.
Murugan, who hails from the western region and is widely seen as the BJP’s prominent Dalit face in Tamil Nadu, also shared the campaign stage with Palaniswami, adding symbolic weight to the joint effort.
The campaign launch comes at a time when the ruling DMK has already intensified its outreach through a massive door-to-door programme aimed at covering two crore households across the state to highlight its welfare initiatives and preempt opposition criticism.
As the political temperature rises in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK-BJP alliance’s united front from Coimbatore signals the beginning of a high-stakes battle for 2026.
