AIADMK general Secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy (EPS) on Saturday reiterated that under his stewardship the NDA in Tamil Nadu will build a mega alliance with new parties joining the combine ahead of the 2026 assembly election.

Addressing the media at the AIADMK headquarters at Royapettah in Chennai, he said new parties might join the alliance. as we are open to include all those determined to defeat the DMK in the election. Despite Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder president, Vijay, lambasting the AIADMK for joining hands with the BJP, which he had declared as the ideological enemy of the TVK, EPS and the AIADMK is keeping a studied silence while being happy about the actor’s sharp criticism of the DMK.

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“We are only happy to align and team up with those committed to unseating the DMK from power. They too have to cooperate with us. It is for Vijay to take the decision,” was his measured response to a question whether the AIADMK would invite the TVK of Vijay to join the AIADMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu. Further, he claimed that the AIADMK would build a strong coalition to take on the DMK with new parties joining the combine.

The soft corner that EPS and his party has for Vijay is indicative of the fact that there is still hope of the actor joining the AIADMK-led alliance. The AIADMK is not perturbed by Vijay’s criticism either the AIADMK or that of the BJP. The party is cautious about antagonising Vijay, who has a huge following among the youth.

Recently both the AIADMK and the BJP have claimed that cracks have appeared in the DMK alliance and some parties are about to switch over to the NDA. But, so far nothing of that sort had happened with DMK allies swearing allegiance to Chief Minister Stalin’s leadership besides claiming that their alliance is an ideologically united one.

On the occasion, EPS also released the song and logo for his upcoming state-wide campaign “Makkalai Kappom, Thamiz Nattai Meetpom’ (Save People, Redeem TN), commencing from Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district on July 7. He said the mass outreach was intended to mobilise the people to bring down the ‘incompetent’ DMK government in the coming assembly election. Each day he would tour three assembly constituencies and the first phase would conclude at Pattukottai in Thanjavur district on July 23.

Meanwhile, days ahead of EPS launching his state-wide mass outreach programme the Union Government has reportedly decided to provide him with Z+ Category Security. The Union Home Ministry has taken this decision to accord him enhanced security cover following bomb threats to his residence.