Chennai: AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) has categorically stated that there is “no issue of a share in the government” within the NDA alliance, firmly shutting down speculation of power-sharing demands from allies like the BJP or AMMK. Speaking at the India Today conclave in Chennai, EPS asserted that alliance partners have not sought any such arrangement, positioning the AIADMK as the undisputed leader of the coalition while taking sharp swipes at rival DMK and actor-politician Vijay’s TVK.
“No coalition govt question in NDA”: EPS draws contrast with DMK’s internal strife
Responding to Union Minister Amit Shah’s recent remarks about a potential NDA coalition government, Palaniswami made it clear that the AIADMK-led front is united under a single leadership vision. “Those in the alliance have not asked for that either,” he said, dismissing any parallel with the DMK-Congress alliance, where the Congress has been publicly pushing for a deputy chief minister post and power-sharing guarantees. He criticized the “confusion in the DMK alliance” over whether it envisions a coalition or a one-party government, contrasting it with the NDA’s clarity.
“Vijay may be screen superstar, Not political superstar yet”: EPS’s stinging critique
In his most pointed remarks, EPS took on Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) founder Vijay, dismissing the actor’s immediate political relevance. “Vijay may be a superstar on screen, but he cannot immediately become a superstar in politics. Cinema is different, politics is different. He has not even faced an election yet,” Palaniswami asserted. He added that until Vijay contests and secures a popular mandate, his political influence remains unproven. In a personal dig, EPS remarked, “Recently, even if a small incident happens, leader Vijay freezes inside his house. A political leader needs courage and the character to stand in the field with the people.”
AIADMK’s Banyan Tree: EPS Confident of 210-Seat Landslide
Reaffirming the AIADMK’s enduring legacy, Palaniswami declared that the party, “carved by two great leaders, MGR and Jayalalithaa,” stands firm like a “banyan tree” despite many parties rising and fading. He projected the AIADMK-led alliance to win a staggering 210 seats in the 234-member assembly, asserting that “no new forces can disrupt the AIADMK’s vote bank.”