R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, JAN 21
In a significant political realignment ahead of the high-stakes Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the T.T.V. Dhinakaran-led Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) on Wednesday formally returned to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), months after dramatically exiting the bloc alleging “betrayal”.
தமிழகத்தில் திமுகவுக்கு எதிராக மெகா கூட்டணி என்பது சாத்தியமில்லை என்று பகல் கனவு கண்டவர்களின் எண்ணங்களை தவிடு பொடியாக்கி, தீயசக்திகளுக்கு எதிராக வலிமையான கூட்டணி உருவானது! pic.twitter.com/VjNZ5NK538
— BJP Tamilnadu (@BJP4TamilNadu) January 21, 2026
Signalling a thaw after years of acrimony rooted in the AIADMK’s post-Jayalalithaa split, AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) welcomed Dhinakaran back into the NDA fold, while the AMMK founder reciprocated with what he termed a “heartfelt thanks”, characterising their long-standing hostility as merely a “sibling rivalry.”
- EPS Welcomes Back AMMK as NDA Sharpens Anti-DMK Front
- Piyush Goyal Calls Dhinakaran a ‘Brother’, Vows to Defeat ‘Corrupt DMK Regime’
- ‘For People’s Welfare, We Forgot Betrayal,’ Says Dhinakaran
- Strategic Re-entry Aims to Consolidate Thevar-Mukkulathor Vote Bank
- Questions Remain on Credibility, Cadre Acceptance and Power Promises
Goyal Plays the Peacemaker
Dhinakaran’s return was formalised after a meeting with senior BJP leader and Union Minister Piyush Goyal at a private hotel in Chennai. Welcoming him, Goyal struck a warm and personal note.
“I am honoured and delighted, personally very happy that my good friend, senior leader and my brother Dhinakaran ji has decided to come back to the NDA family,” Goyal said.
Recalling a long association, Goyal added: “He was serving with my father in the Rajya Sabha during 2004–2007, and since then I have seen his good work, his popularity and his leadership skills.”
Goyal, who is the BJP’s in-charge for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, said the expanded NDA would jointly take on the ruling DMK alliance.
“My elder brother and leader of AIADMK Edappadi K. Palaniswami, my brother and good friend Anbumani Ramadoss, G.K. Vasan and all NDA colleagues are committed to removing this corrupt DMK government,” he asserted.
EPS Invokes ‘Amma’s Golden Rule’
Though not present at the meeting with Goyal, Palaniswami welcomed Dhinakaran’s return, framing it as part of a larger ideological battle.
“Dhinakaran has joined the NDA to uproot the evil force DMK’s tyrannical rule, put an end to dynastic politics and once again ensure the golden rule of Amma,” EPS said.
Calling for unity, he added: “With the welfare of the people as our objective, let us all unite together to save the people and retrieve Tamil Nadu from the DMK’s family rule.”
Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai also welcomed the move, saying it brought him “immense joy”.
“The profound political experience and astute strategies of Dhinakaran will play a key role in removing the anti-people DMK regime,” Annamalai said.
‘We Forgot Betrayal’: Dhinakaran
Addressing reporters, Dhinakaran sought to downplay the bitterness of the past.
“Those who have compromised do not lose. What exists between us is just a sibling rivalry. We will stand united as one front to help bring people’s rule to Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Responding sharply to repeated queries about the NDA’s chief ministerial candidate, Dhinakaran countered scribes by asking why the question persisted when Edappadi K. Palaniswami had already been declared the CM face.
Thanking EPS, he said: “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the former Chief Minister for wholeheartedly welcoming the AMMK. With people’s welfare at our core, we will re-establish Tamil Nadu on behalf of the NDA.”
Striking a dramatic note, Dhinakaran added: “We will achieve a historic victory that will shower new light upon Tamil Nadu, which has been plunged into darkness for the past four-and-a-half years.”
Full Circle in Eight Years
Dhinakaran’s return completes a remarkable political arc since the death of J. Jayalalithaa. Expelled from the AIADMK in 2017 along with his aunt V.K. Sasikala, Dhinakaran later floated the AMMK and emerged as one of EPS’s fiercest critics. His party was once launched with the explicit aim of dismantling Palaniswami’s leadership.
Though he was part of the NDA during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Dhinakaran quit the alliance in September 2025, alleging that the BJP had “cold-shouldered” his party to appease the AIADMK. His exit followed the denial of an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter’s visit to Gangaikonda Cholapuram in July 2025.
Vote Bank Calculus and Power Speculation
BJP sources admit the AMMK’s return is driven by electoral arithmetic. Dhinakaran, hailing from the Mukkulathor (Thevar) community, is believed to command influence in southern Tamil Nadu. He secured close to 21 lakh votes in 2019 and around 25 lakh votes in the 2021 Assembly elections, often denting AIADMK prospects.
Party insiders claim Dhinakaran’s recent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi was the turning point. Speculation is rife that the behind-the-scenes understanding may include a Rajya Sabha berth outside Tamil Nadu and a possible Minister of State position in a future Cabinet reshuffle.
However, questions persist over how Dhinakaran will explain his dramatic turnaround to cadres who were trained for years to oppose Palaniswami, and whether his return will actually transfer votes to the NDA, given regional caste dynamics.
As the NDA seeks to stitch together a formidable anti-DMK coalition, Dhinakaran’s homecoming may be politically expedient—but its credibility and electoral impact will be tested only on the campaign trail.
