Wednesday, Mar 26 2025 | Time 06:57 Hrs(IST)
States » SouthPosted at: Mar 25 2025 8:40PM


Amid speculations of reviving ties with BJP, EPS Delhi visit sends political tongues wagging

Chennai, Mar 25 (UNI) The crucial 2026 Assembly elections which is expected to witness
at least a five-cornered contest, is still an year away.
In this background the sudden visit of AIADMK General Secretary and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) to New Delhi on Tuesday has sent political tongues wagging.
While the ruling DMK had almost cemented its electoral strategy and is certain to face the voters
with its current flock being intact, the AIADMK was still pondering over its next move on alliance,
having walked out of the BJP-led NDA in the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Amidst growing speculations on the AIADMK's possible revival of ties with the BJP-led NDA
ahead of the Assembly election, Mr EPS, also the Leader of the Opposition, has landed in the
National capital, that too in the midst of the ongoing budget session of the State Assembly.
At a time when speculations about a potential reunion between AIADMK and the BJP has been
gaining momentum, making EPS Delhi visit assumes all the more significant.
If the reports are to be believed, EPS is likely to meet top BJP leaders, though he maintained
that his visit was to inspect the newly opened AIADMK Party Office in New Delhi via video
conferencing from Chennai recently.
His sudden visit seems to have some political and electoral significance, and has sparked wild
speculations about the Dravidian major’s imminent homecoming into the saffron fold, despite
EPA oftenly reiterating that there was no question of reviving ties with the BJP and that the
AIADMK would stitch a broader and formidable alliance to take on its arch rival DMK in the
polls.
The AIADMK had lost all the successive elections starting from 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha
polls, rural and urban local body polls, and the 2021 Assembly polls post the demise of party
supremo and charismatic J Jayalalithaa after winning back to back Assembly polls under her
leadership emulating party founder MGR, besides the Assembly bypolls, and is keen to stitch
together a good alliance to take on the formidable DMK-led Front in 2026 and cash in on the
possible anti-incumbency factor, if any.
EPS had also repeatedly asserted that for the AIADMK the ruling DMK was the only rival,
dropping broader hints that it was open for an alliance revival with the BJP, which too has
been keen on it, triggering speculations of a possible political realignment.
“The DMK is our only enemy. Others are not. Defeating our enemy is our priority,” he had
said in response to a question about a possible patch up with the BJP.
However, the reality of losing yet another election could hurt the AIADMK badly especially in
the context of the political entry of Kollywood actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)
with the Tamil Nationalist ‘Naam Tamilar Katchi’ (NTK) of another-actor-produer-director
Seeman, which has secured 8.5 percent votes in the LS election, set to take on both the
Dravidian majors and the BJP.
In this context, EPS can ill-afford to plough a lone furrow like the charismatic Jayalalithaa
in 2026, with the hope of unseating the DMK from power.
Though BJP State Unit Chief K Annamalai was being blamed for AIADMK's exit from the
NDA, the saffron party was keen to get AIADMK back into its fold and some of the BJP leaders
too had spoken openly about it.
UNI GV 2015
Tags: #Amid speculations of reviving ties with BJP# EPS Delhi visit sends political tongues wagging
More News

ICFAI Incubator and T-Hub partner to boost innovation and entrepreneurship

26 Mar 2025 | 2:59 AM

Hyderabad, Mar 25 (UNI) ICFAI Incubator and T-Hub Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the ICFAI Hyderabad campus to strengthen the startup ecosystem and support technology-driven student entrepreneurs across India.

see more..

Hyd: AINEF condemns Delhi police action against women journalist

26 Mar 2025 | 2:21 AM

Hyderabad, Mar 25 (UNI) The All India Newspaper Employees Federation [AINEF] on Tuesday condemned the Delhi Police action in which a woman journalist's camera was forcibly taken away by a cop and another woman journalist faced misbehaviour from the lawkeepers in the national capital.

see more..

Riyas unveils Kerala Tourism’s new theme song

26 Mar 2025 | 1:58 AM

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 25 (UNI) Aiming to rebrand the state’s tourism, Kerala on Tuesday brought out a new theme song for the sector after a decade.

see more..

Nenmara twin murder case: SIT files chargesheet against alleged accused Chenthamara

26 Mar 2025 | 1:30 AM

Palakkad, Mar 25 (UNI) The Kerala police on Tuesdays submitted the chargesheet in the Nenmara twin killing case, slapping murder charges against the 58-year-old accused Chenthamara, for allegedly hacking to death two members of a neighbour's family in Palakkad district.

see more..

Bihar Foundation Day observed in Kerala Raj Bhavan

26 Mar 2025 | 12:35 AM

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 25 (UNI) Bihar Diwas was celebrated as part of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ initiative at Kerala Raj Bhavan on Tuesday.

see more..