AIADMK will secure absolute majority and form government in 2026, reiterates Palaniswami

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Wednesday (July 16, 2025) reiterated that his party would secure an “absolute majority” and form the next government in the State.

Speaking to reporters at Chidambaram, he said the AIADMK and BJP held discussions and clarified the alliance will be led by the AIADMK and that the party will form the government. “But the media is trying to twist the issue and project a different picture to create fissures. This will, however, not work,” he claimed.

“This is a clear alliance and the AIADMK will register a thumping win and form the next government with an absolute majority,” he said.

Having aligned with the BJP for the 1999 Lok Sabha and 2001 Assembly elections and shared power at the Centre (1999-2003), the DMK has no locus standi to criticise the AIADMK’s alliance with the national party for the 2026 Assembly election. The Leader of the Opposition wondered how the BJP could be perceived as “virtuous” by the DMK when it was in its company and castigated as “communal” when it was in alliance with the AIADMK. “The people cannot be cheated anymore,” he said.

Mr. Palaniswami said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was making statements against the AIADMK out of fear of the latter’s alliance with the BJP.

Referring to the government appointing four senior bureaucrats as its official spokespersons to disseminate information on government schemes and initiatives to the public, he said the official machinery should not be misused.

Alleging that Ungaludan Stalin was an attempt to hoodwink the public, he said the government had drafted officials of various departments to receive petitions when only a few months were left for the election. The scheme was aimed at deceiving the electorate into voting for the ruling DMK. The scheme is nothing but a copy of a initiative launched by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, he added.