Tamil Nadu’s political dynamics are changing fast with the AIADMK and the BJP set to join hands in the wake of the assembly elections due next year. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is in Chennai today and is likely to meet AIADMK leaders to advance the alliance talks. Notably, outgoing Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai did not share a good relationship with the AIADMK leadership and it was Annamalai behind the fall of the AIADMK’s ties with the BJP. Now, the BJP and AIADMK leaders are looking to rebuild their ties and thus, Annamalai has been asked to work to strengthen the party cadre and grassroots support ahead of the polls. Meanwhile, Nainar Nagenthran is likely to become the next Tamil Nadu BJP chief.
Nagenthran joined the BJP in 2017. Nainar Nagenthran is a BJP MLA from the Tirunelveli assembly seat. What is interesting is that he was earlier with the AIADMK, and thus, has good ties with the leaders of his former party. Since only Nagenthran has filed the nomination for the post, he is likely to be elected unopposed.
Nagendran became a legislator for the first time in 2001 from the Tirunelveli seat.
During the AIADMK government led by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa from 2001 to 2006, he served as the Minister overseeing Transport, Industries, and Electricity. Although he was re-elected from the same constituency in 2011 when AIADMK returned to power, he was not included in the Cabinet. In the 2016 Assembly elections, he narrowly lost the seat by approximately 600 votes. However, in 2021, he made a comeback, winning the seat as a BJP candidate and was subsequently named the Legislature Party Leader in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Chennai in the early hours of Friday to hold key discussions aimed at reviving the BJP’s alliance with the AIADMK ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Shah is likely to meet AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), along with senior leaders of the Dravidian major. These discussions are expected to play a decisive role in formalising the alliance.
The BJP- AIADMK alliance, which had been intact for several years, collapsed in September 2023. The fallout was largely attributed to tensions sparked by controversial statements made by K. Annamalai against iconic Dravidian leaders such as C.N. Annadurai (Anna) and J. Jayalalithaa. These remarks deeply upset the AIADMK leadership and led to the alliance’s breakdown. Notably, the alliance had produced significant results in the 2021 Assembly elections, with the BJP winning four seats and the AIADMK securing 66. However, relations deteriorated after Annamalai was appointed as state BJP president.
The impact of the split was visible in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where both parties suffered major setbacks. Recognising the political vacuum in Tamil Nadu, several senior RSS leaders have reportedly urged the BJP central leadership to rebuild ties with a major Dravidian party — viewing AIADMK as the only viable option, with the DMK being considered a political adversary.
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