No inclusion of Sasikala, OPS in AIADMK or NDA alliance: Palaniswami ahead of 2026 TN polls

Chennai: AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, on Thursday, made it clear that there was no scope for reconciliation with V.K. Sasikala or O. Panneerselvam (OPS), either within the party or as part of the broader coalition led by the Dravidian political party.

Speaking to reporters at the New Delhi airport, Palaniswami said his position on the issue had been conveyed “repeatedly and unambiguously”.

The AIADMK leader had met the Union Home Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah in the national capital on Wednesday night.

Recalling earlier discussions during the revival of ties between the AIADMK and the BJP, Palaniswami said Home Minister Shah had assured him that the BJP would not interfere in the internal affairs of the AIADMK.

When asked about the possible accommodation of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) led by Chief T.T.V. Dhinakaran, the AIADMK General Secretary declined to comment on what he termed “speculation”.

However, he said that more parties would join the alliance in due course, without divulging details.

Responding to suggestions that the inclusion of Sasikala and Panneerselvam could strengthen the AIADMK-led NDA front, Palaniswami asserted that the AIADMK remained a “strong organisation”, saying that in the 2021 Assembly election the cumulative vote margin between the AIADMK and the DMK in 43 constituencies was only around two lakh votes.

The former Chief Minister also clarified that he could not meet Union Home Minister Shah during the latter’s recent visit to Tamil Nadu as he was preoccupied with party programmes in Salem and Kallakurichi, but said he had since apprised him of the prevailing political situation in the state.

He recalled that in 2021, efforts were made to bring the AMMK into the NDA-led alliance, but they did not succeed.

Dhinakaran and Panneerselvam later aligned with the BJP during the 2024 Lok Sabha election, though they exited the NDA months after the AIADMK and BJP resumed ties in April 2025.

Recent reports suggest both leaders have been in touch with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) led by party Chief Vijay, while the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) is also seen as a prospective ally of the AIADMK-led front.

Sections of the Tamil media have reported that the BJP is keen on finalising the coalition before the end of the month, ahead of an expected visit by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Commenting on governance issues in the state, Palaniswami accused the DMK government of staging a “drama of deception” through the Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme.

He said the scheme was no different from the Centre’s Unified Pension Scheme, barring a change in nomenclature, and added that unlike the old pension system, it did not provide for periodic upward revision based on Pay Commission recommendations.

IANS