Scotching speculations that he is keeping the option of teaming up with the BJP for the 2026 assembly election, AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) has made it clear that the party will never enter into an electoral alliance with the saffron party.

“Even before the Lok Sabha polls we had snapped our ties with the BJP and walked out of the NDA. Why should we go for a tie-up for the assembly election? Alliance with the BJP was a thing of the past and the AIADMK will form a formidable alliance for 2026 with the aim of dethroning the DMK government,” he told reporters after a party event in Krishnagiri district on Thursday.

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A visibly upset EPS asked the media not to persist with the question as to whether the AIADMK will join hands with the BJP. Clarifying his remarks made in Trichy on Wednesday, he explained “I had said that the AIADMK would stitch an alliance with like-minded parties with similar objectives. It was made in response to a question on whether the AIADMK would re-enter the NDA fold. But, our position on the BJP is very clear and reiterated every now and then. The proposed alliance will not include the BJP.”

Even as former AIADMK minister D Jayakumar made it loud and clear that the AIADMK will never gravitate towards the saffron party, it had failed to quell the rumours. For, EPS’ remark had given room for such a speculation. Hence, he has to put it to rest once for all.

The AIADMK and the BJP fought together in the 2021 assembly poll and the NDA secured 75 seats of which the Dravidian major accounted for 66, the BJP 4 and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) 5. But, this time, the AIADMK is not inclined to team up with the BJP fearing loss of minority votes, say analysts who also draw attention to the fact that the AIADMK had secured 20 per cent votes in the LS poll without any major allies save the DMDK of late actor Vijayakant. While the DMK combine continues to be intact since 2019, it remains to be seen whether, EPS is able to cobble up a creditable alliance for 2026.