'AIADMK Will Win & Form Govt Independently': EPS Says Tamil Nadu Will Have Single-Party Government If Voted To Power

Chennai: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) on Wednesday announced that Tamil Nadu will have a single-party government and he will become the Chief Minister if the alliance wins the assembly elections scheduled for next year, NDTV reported.

The former Chief Minister's statement appears to put an end to speculation about a potential coalition government in Tamil Nadu if the AIADMK-BJP alliance were to win.

"Our alliance will win... but the AIADMK will form the government on its own," EPS said. "It is the AIADMK that leads this alliance, and it is my decision. I will be Chief Minister... the BJP has clarified. What more do you need?" he added.

Addressing speculation of tensions with the BJP, EPS said, "The media needs a sensational story... but there are no cracks in our alliance. The AIADMK will win a majority and form the government independently."

EPS launched his election campaign last week, describing the alliance with the saffron party as a "natural alliance" that would "do good for the people of the state."

What Union Home Minister Amit Shah Had Said?

Earlier in April, during a joint press conference with Edappadi Palaniswami, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said: "AIADMK and BJP have decided to fight next year’s polls... Since 1998, AIADMK has been part of the BJP alliance at various times. Prime Minister Modi and the late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa worked to strengthen Centre-state ties," Shah said.

"We will form a government together, led by Edappadi Palaniswami," he added, suggesting it would be a coalition government if the NDA wins.

Days after the alliance was announced, EPS said Tamil voters would not accept the BJP even if in a coalition. Any deal with the BJP, he suggested then, was "only for the election."

The BJP, responding to his statement, had said that it was more focused on winning the 2026 election and removing the DMK-led coalition from power.

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