Fri Apr 11 17:13:00 UTC 2025: ## AIADMK and BJP to Contest Tamil Nadu Elections Together

**Chennai, India –** The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) have announced a formal alliance for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections, scheduled for next year. The announcement was made today at a joint press conference in Chennai by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alongside AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and outgoing BJP state chief K Annamalai.

The alliance, which mirrors a successful partnership in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, will see EPS lead the AIADMK’s campaign. Shah expressed confidence in a resounding NDA victory, citing the historical precedent of a 30 out of 39 Lok Sabha seats win under the leadership of the late J Jayalalithaa. He assured that the BJP will not interfere in AIADMK’s internal affairs, playfully requesting that some aspects of the alliance be left to the BJP to manage.

The alliance announcement comes on the heels of the BJP appointing Nainar Nagenthiran as the new Tamil Nadu chief, replacing Annamalai. Shah thanked Annamalai for his service and emphasized that the change in leadership is unrelated to the alliance decision.

While the AIADMK and BJP had previously allied in both the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly elections, the AIADMK’s performance was lackluster, and the parties parted ways earlier this year. The two parties will now work together to create a common minimum program. The BJP’s previous state election result was modest, with only four seats won in 2021.

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