Tamil Nadu Elections 2026: Anbumani Ramadoss' PMK on Wednesday joined the NDA led by AIADMK-BJP in Tamil Nadu, ahead of assembly elections in the state. The announcement was made after AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami met PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss in Chennai. The development is seen as a move to consolidate opposition votes against the ruling DMK.
People Are Angry With DMK: Anbumani
On joining NDA, Anbumani said, "Today, we met the leader of the AIADMK, Edappadi Palaniswami and confirmed the alliance of Pattali Makkal Katchi, PMK with the AIADMK-led front for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, and we will contest this election under the leadership of the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. We definitely will come to power without a doubt because people of Tamil Nadu are very angry with the ruling party, the DMK."
What Will PMK Add To NDA Against DMK?
Anbumani Ramadoss's PMK is one of the biggest regional political forces after DMD and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. PMK's entry to the NDA will strengthen the opposition camp as the party won five seats out of 23 it contested with the AIADMK-led alliance in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election 2021, securing 4.04% votes. Anbumani's party holds influence among the Vanniyars community voters, who constitute 12-15% the population in the state.
The party has been demanding internal reservation for Vanniyars. So, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), led by Anbumani, remains a significant player in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2026. Its core base is the Vanniyar community (a large Most Backward Class group), which is strong in northern districts such as Vellore, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Salem, and Villupuram.
AIADMK, BJP Initiate Talks Over Poll Strategy
Meanwhile, the NDA constituents in Tamil Nadu--the AIADMK and the BJP initiated preliminary talks ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls in the state a few days ago, with saffron party leader Piyush Goyal holding talks with Palaniswami. Speaking to reporters after the discussions, Goyal said he discussed with Palaniswami, the plans for the coming months to prepare for the polls, due by March-April 2026.
Palaniswami said Tuesday's talks focused on working out strategies to "defeat the anti-people DMK government" in the state. The discussions did not revolve around seat-sharing, BJP TN chief Nainar Nagenthran later said. Goyal said, "We had good discussions about strengthening our political work together and fighting the 2026 Assembly election together as the NDA family under the leadership and guidance of PM Modi."
(With Agencies inputs)