With BJP’s support AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) launched his election campaign for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on Monday. Starting from the party’s stronghold of Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district, EPS launched his “election yatra” with a full promise of a “Himalayan victory” and the beginning of the end of the DMK regime.
Senior BJP leaders Nainar Nagendran and Union Minister L Murugan attended the rally, marking a straightforward return to the AIADMK-BJP combination after the temporary falling out following the 2019 and 2021 poll losses. Posing on top of a green poll van carrying the slogan “Protecting People, Redeeming Tamil Nadu”, EPS delivered a scathing appeal to the voters, berating the DMK for “failed promises, increasing crimes, and dynastic politics.”
Edappadi Palaniswami Targets DMK’s Track Record
In a no-holds-barred criticism, EPS denounced Chief Minister MK Stalin’s government as having betrayed the public trust. “MK Stalin must have developed a fever watching today’s crowd. People are willing to send this government packing,” he declared. Raising a finger over unfulfilled poll promises, EPS stated, “Out of 525 promises made in 2021, DMK has delivered only 15. What happened to the education loan waiver? Where is the augmented MNREGA work? These were all notional promises.”
#மக்களைக்_காப்போம், #தமிழகத்தை_மீட்போம் என்ற தீர்க்கமான இலட்சியத்துடன் நான் மேற்கொண்டுள்ள எழுச்சிப்பயணத்தின் முதல் நாளான இன்று, மேட்டுப்பாளையம், கவுண்டம்பாளையம் தொகுதி மக்களின் பேரன்பில் திளைத்தேன்.
கடல் போல் காட்சியளித்த மக்கள் வெள்ளத்தின் இன்றைய எழுச்சிக்குரல், 2026-ல்… pic.twitter.com/SSAARGP3Ql
— Edappadi K Palaniswami-SayYEStoWomenSafety&AIADMK (@EPSTamilNadu) July 7, 2025
Referring to the incidents in Erode and Sivaganga, he referred to an increase in sexual assaults, killings of senior citizens, custodial fatalities, and hike in power tariffs. “Is this the model of governance the people were promised?” he queried.
EPS also attributed the demise of AIADMK-era welfare schemes such as Amma Mini Clinics and the Free Laptop Scheme to the DMK. “This government is not constructing anything new. It is only closing down whatever good we did,” he charged.
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AIADMK-BJP Alliance Back on Track
EPS labeled the revived BJP coalition as a “natural alliance” to provide better governance. “This coalition is here to execute schemes of the Centre effectively and help people. The INDIA bloc is disintegrating whereas our tie is becoming even stronger,” he stated.
Reacting against criticism of joining hands with the BJP, EPS reminded the audience that MK Stalin himself had joined hands with the BJP in 1999 and 2001. “When DMK joins hands with the BJP, it’s strategic. But when AIADMK does so, they cry communalism,” he said.
DMK Responds: Blames Centre for Hindering Progress
Responding to the AIADMK leader’s comments, DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan informed NDTV, “The Centre is plundering Tamil Nadu’s revenue through the GST regime. That’s why some promises are in limbo. Previously, we had complete control over commercial tax. Now we are getting back hardly 5 to 6%.”
He also said that AIADMK and BJP workers are being increasingly connected to crimes in the state, responding to EPS’s law and order attack.
2026 Elections Make-or-Break for EPS, AIADMK
The 2026 elections are likely to be a make-or-break moment for the AIADMK and its CM EPS. The party has lost three big elections since the passing of the previous CM J Jayalalithaa, and the latest one was the 2024 Lok Sabha elections where both AIADMK and BJP lost all the seats in Tamil Nadu.
The resurrected alliance is at a time when actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has excluded both DMK and BJP from alliance options. But his silence on AIADMK has spurred speculation that EPS will abandon the BJP to make new alliances by 2026, considering the poor grassroots bonhomie between the two parties’ workers.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
