Tamil Nadu 2026 Assembly Polls: AIADMK-BJP Alliance Faces Seat-Sharing and Power-Sharing Rift

With the 2026 Assembly election in Tamil Nadu approaching, differences within the AIADMK–BJP alliance have begun to surface in the public domain, particularly over questions of seat-sharing and the possibility of power-sharing.

At the centre of the latest exchange is Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran. Speaking at the inauguration of the party’s election office in Chennai, he said the BJP expected between 20 and 30 of its candidates to enter the Assembly in 2026 and indicated that they would be part of the Council of Ministers in the event of an NDA victory. Referring to remarks made earlier by senior leader V.P. Duraisamy, he suggested that a coalition government in the State was a realistic possibility.

The comments assume significance in light of the position articulated days earlier by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who ruled out any discussion of power-sharing within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He stated that there was no question of alliance partners seeking a share in governance, underscoring the AIADMK’s leadership role within the coalition.

A similar formulation has been articulated by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin in the context of the DMK-led alliance, where he has maintained that the arrangement does not extend to a coalition government structure. Across parties, public messaging has so far stopped short of endorsing formal power-sharing.

The BJP’s intervention, however, appears to be part of a broader negotiating posture ahead of formal seat-sharing talks. Citing its 11% vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the party is learnt to be seeking up to 50 constituencies for itself and its allies, including the AMMK led by TTV Dhinakaran and the IJK. Party sources indicate that it is reluctant to accept fewer than 30 seats.

The AIADMK leadership, which is said to be preparing to contest roughly 170 constituencies, has reportedly proposed around 25 seats for the BJP and approximately 10 for other allies. The PMK is believed to have been offered 17 to 18 seats, along with a Rajya Sabha berth for Anbumani Ramadoss, reflecting the calibrated balancing underway within the alliance framework.

Meanwhile, the AMMK under TTV Dhinakaran has indicated that it seeks at least eight seats and has suggested that its discussions on constituencies would be held with the BJP. The development points to the layered nature of negotiations within the broader alliance.

Attention is now focused on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Madurai on March 1, after which clearer indications are expected on both seat allocation and the contours of alliance coordination.

For now, Mr. Nagendran’s remarks have added a sharper edge to what were already complex negotiations. As the election cycle gathers momentum, the question is not only about electoral arithmetic but also about how authority and leadership are defined within pre-poll alliances.