AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), officially launched his statewide election campaign on 7 July 2025, for the upcoming 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Notably, BJP leaders stood alongside him atop his campaign vehicle, signaling renewed cooperation between the two parties.
#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
BJP’s Tamil Nadu president Nainar Nagendran and Union Minister of State L. Murugan flanked EPS during the launch event. The public appearance marked the formal re-entry of the AIADMK-BJP alliance, which had split for nearly 19 months before reconciling earlier this year. Calling EPS the “next chief minister,” Nagendran emphasized that the alliance is both strategic and ideologically compatible.
The campaign began with a massive roadshow in Coimbatore, stretching from the iconic Gandhi Statue to the town’s bus stand, drawing significant crowds. Addressing supporters, EPS took a jab at current Chief Minister MK Stalin, suggesting that the success of the event would cause political discomfort for the DMK leadership.
EPS launched the campaign under the slogan “Makkalai Kappom, Tamizhagathai Meetpom” (Let’s protect the people and reclaim Tamil Nadu), starting in AIADMK’s stronghold in the western part of the state. Coimbatore was chosen as the starting point not only for its symbolic value but also because L. Murugan, who previously served as BJP state president is from the region.
Criticizing Stalin’s attacks on the BJP-AIADMK alliance, EPS accused the DMK leader of double standards. He reminded the public that former Chief Minister and DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi, Stalin’s late father, had allied with the BJP during the 1999 general elections and the 2001 state elections. “If the BJP is acceptable when allied with the DMK, why does it become communal when aligned with the AIADMK?” EPS questioned during his speech.
He defended his tenure as Chief Minister, asserting that his government had a clean record. “There is nothing you can blame us for, so you try to stir up communal fears,” he said, speaking from a specially designed campaign vehicle.
EPS further asserted that the AIADMK-BJP alliance would secure a landslide victory in 2026 and form the next state government by defeating what he termed the “anti-people” DMK administration.
During the first phase of his campaign, EPS is scheduled to visit 38 assembly constituencies across the western, northern, and central districts. Over time, the tour will expand to cover all 234 constituencies in Tamil Nadu.
The AIADMK’s campaign primarily targets the DMK government on issues such as corruption, law and order failures, and unfulfilled electoral promises. This offensive comes shortly after CM Stalin launched a large-scale door-to-door campaign aiming to reach 20 million households to promote the DMK’s welfare initiatives.
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