Will PMK-AIADMK alliance bolster NDA's prospects ahead of Tamil Nadu elections?

The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has returned to the NDA fold in Tamil Nadu. The alliance deal was finalised by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday after the latter called on Palaniswami at his residence. 

Anbumani Ramadoss, who is in an open squabble with his father, Dr S. Ramadoss, clinched the deal with the AIADMK. With this, the NDA, which had been struggling to stitch together an alliance to fight the mighty DMK-led India bloc in Tamil Nadu, has taken its first step towards a “mega alliance.” The NDA had apparently withered in the state after the AIADMK joined the alliance in April 2025. The PMK, which is hit by internal disputes between the father and the son, is likely to contest from 18 assembly segments in the alliance and also secure one Rajya Sabha seat. 

The PMK was part of the NDA in 2021, and it contested from the same NDA fold minus the AIADMK in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. “The 2021 alliance will come back. Vijayakanth’s DMDK is also in talks with us,” a senior AIADMK leader told THE WEEK. 

Even when the party is hit by internal disputes, and both the factions claim the Mango symbol, the AIADMK is confident that inducting the Anbumani faction of the PMK will strengthen the alliance and bring the Vanniyar community votes. Incidentally, Anbumani enjoys a majority in most of the party organisations and also controls the party as per the Election Commission records. “Senior Ramadoss will also align with us. There may be two different factions. But we will ensure both of them come with us,” the senior leader asserted. 

He said the talks with Anbumani were finalised only after Amit Shah’s visit to Tamil Nadu. Shah’s visit and his two meetings with former minister S.P. Velumani, one of the trusted lieutenants of AIADMK leader Palaniswami, seem to have triggered the alliance talks. The meeting between Velumani and Shah happened in Tiruchirappalli at a time when Palaniswami asserted that the AIADMK would contest from a majority of seats and form a single majority government. But Shah, during his speech in Pudukkottai at a BJP rally, said that the NDA will form the government, indicating that a coalition government will be in place if the NDA wins. 

Despite several contradictions, the meeting, sources say, was to categorically inform Palaniswami that roping in both the factions of the PMK, T.T.V.Dhinakaran, O. Panneerselvam and Vijayakanth’s DMDK can only make the alliance formidable to fight the INDIA bloc. Also, there were clear instructions from the BJP on strategies to face the election. Palaniswami called on Governor R.N. Ravi and submitted a long list of corruption charges against the DMK ministers. This was seen as a fallout of Shah’s meeting with Velumani, AIADMK sources confirmed. 

After signing the deal with Anbumani, Palaniswami on Wednesday had left for Delhi to call on Shah at his office or residence on January 8. Sources say that the BJP leadership wants to finalise the alliance within a week, so as to begin the seat-sharing talks and also sign the pact. BJP also has plans to organise a grand public rally with all the alliance partners, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to participate during his visit to Tamil Nadu, close to the Pongal festival holidays. Palaniswami’s discussion with the BJP leaders in Delhi is likely to centre around strengthening and expanding the alliance further.