Palaniswami is NDA’s chief ministerial candidate for 2026 T.N. Assembly polls: G.K. Vasan

Former Union Minister and Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) president G.K. Vasan said on Saturday (June 28, 2025) that AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami is the leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu as well as its chief ministerial candidate for the 2026 Assembly elections.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a party function in Salem, Mr. Vasan said there were no issues within the NDA and that it remained a “strong and victorious alliance.” He alleged that the ruling DMK was trying to create confusion within the NDA. Mr. Vasan added that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his visit to Chennai, had clarified the alliance’s position, and BJP State president Nainar Nagenthran had also clarified who the NDA leader in Tamil Nadu is, and who the chief ministerial candidate would be.

Responding to a question about Mr. Shah not naming Mr. Palaniswami as the chief ministerial candidate in a recent interview, Mr. Vasan said the Union Minister had announced the alliance with the AIADMK by having Mr. Palaniswami seated next to him.

Regarding political parties’ demand for a coalition government in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Vasan said that there is discussion about the idea among parties in both the ruling and Opposition alliances, and that there is nothing wrong with it.

Responding to a question on whether actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) would be a part of the NDA, Mr. Vasan said that the aim was to unseat the “anti-people” DMK government. “So, people who are against the DMK should unite in a single alliance,” he said.

Denying allegations that the BJP is weakening regional parties, the TMC president said the party is currently ruling many States across the country, while the Congress is steadily losing its strength. Blaming another party for internal issues is merely an attempt to hide their own failures and fear of electoral defeat, Mr. Vasan added.