Vijay’s TVK conference: Palaniswami says decision on alliance will be made during Assembly poll

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday (October 29, 2024) said his party would take a call on forming alliance with other parties at the time of the 2026 Assembly election. 

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday (October 29, 2024) said his party would take a call on forming alliance with other parties at the time of the 2026 Assembly election. 

Answering a volley of questions as to whether his party would strike an electoral deal with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which was launched by actor Vijay recently, Mr. Palaniswami said: “We have still one and a half years to go [for the Assembly poll].  He [Mr. Vijay] has just started his party. He has held the party’s first State-level conference. Coalition will be formed depending upon the situation prevailing at the time of the [Assembly] poll.”

When asked about the TVK chief’s idea of a coalition government, the AIADMK leader replied that “each party has its own policy. He has stated his position. It would not be proper on my part to comment whether his stand is right or wrong.”  

When quizzed whether he would agree to an offer of a power-sharing arrangement by Mr. Vijay — under which he [Mr. Palaniswami] could be Chief Minister and the latter, Deputy Chief Minister — Mr. Palaniswami responded that he could not answer hypothetical questions.

He, however, hastened to add that “we have our own policy for the AIADMK. We have been functioning well as per the policy set by our party’s [previous] leaders.” He reiterated that the issue of alliance would be decided in tune with the political situation prevalent at the time of election. His party had a “stable policy” and would not “deviate” from it. 

When pointed out that Mr. Vijay did not criticise his party much, Mr. Palaniswami observed that “this means that the AIADMK has been doing good.” 

To another query, the AIADMK leader said no one could woo voters of the AIADMK. The situation in the State was such that everyone had to refer to the party’s founder M.G. Ramachandran. That both MGR and Jayalalithaa were still remembered was due to programmes and schemes implemented by them while in power, he said. He added that others too had started echoing what his party had been saying on the “tacit understanding” between the DMK and the BJP.