Amit Shah’s Chennai visit: Can BJP break Tamil Nadu citadel?

Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s latest visit to Tamil Nadu on Thursday night (April 10) has stirred intense political chatter, with speculation peaking over the BJP’s alliance strategy and a possible handshake with the AIADMK. With the 2026 Assembly elections looming large, Shah’s mission appears clear — revive the NDA in the state by uniting anti-DMK forces while keeping BJP’s long-term ambitions intact.

During his packed schedule in Chennai, Shah is holding key strategy meetings with BJP leaders, consulting RSS ideologue S. Gurumurthy, and considering alliance equations that could tilt the balance in Tamil Nadu.

State leadership dilemma

One of Shah’s main challenges is navigating BJP’s internal leadership shuffle. The current Tamil Nadu BJP president, K. Annamalai, has boosted the party’s visibility but alienated some allies, including the AIADMK.

Also read: Vanathi Srinivasan, Pon Radhakrishnan top contenders in TN BJP chief race

However, a new twist has emerged — Annamalai might be ineligible to continue. BJP rules require a 10-year membership to contest for the state chief post. Since Annamalai joined only in 2020, he may be automatically ruled out.

Veteran MLA Nainar Nagendran and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan also face the same technical hurdle due to gaps in their party continuity.

Also read: Ahead of 2026 poll, Amit Shah's Chennai visit may look to reshape NDA in TN

With these top contenders ruled out, attention shifts to new names like Vanathi Srinivasan, Pon Radhakrishnan, and Karuppu Muruganandham. Vanathi, Coimbatore South MLA and Mahila Morcha national president, is seen as a rising star, while Ponnar’s age may work against him.

Still, Annamalai insists Shah’s visit has nothing to do with picking a new BJP chief.

“Union Minister Amit Shah's visit to Tamil Nadu has nothing to do with the BJP's state leadership. He often meets with party leaders, and prior to this, he visited Bihar and met alliance partners. His visit to Tamil Nadu should also be viewed in a similar context,” said Annamalai.

Gurumurthy’s role and alliance math

Annamalai remains publicly opposed to a tie-up with AIADMK, but many within the BJP view the alliance as essential to counter the DMK. Shah’s meeting with Gurumurthy is reportedly to seek a neutral view on reviving the NDA in Tamil Nadu.

Gurumurthy may advise a middle path — support AIADMK’s Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) while also engaging expelled leaders like O. Panneerselvam (OPS), Sasikala, and TTV Dhinakaran to keep options open.

As speculation builds, a major development looms: EPS is in Chennai, and top sources suggest he is likely to meet Shah during this visit. If confirmed, this would be a defining moment in finalising a BJP-AIADMK alliance ahead of the elections.

The PMK and DMDK puzzle

Another key piece in the alliance puzzle is the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). Founder S. Ramadoss recently pushed aside his son Anbumani Ramadoss and delayed alliance talks until the year-end. Analysts believe Ramadoss is holding out for a better seat-sharing deal — whether from the AIADMK or the BJP.

The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), led by Premalatha Vijayakant, is also in the fray but unpredictable. The party has flip-flopped in previous alliances and remains undecided for now.

Shah’s ability to bring both the PMK and DMDK into the NDA fold will determine whether the coalition has enough strength to challenge the DMK front.

Strategic stakes rise

With Shah’s high-profile visit, the stakes are rising fast. Will he succeed in reviving a fragmented NDA in Tamil Nadu? Will EPS agree to align again? And can Shah keep the BJP’s southern push intact without compromising its growth?

Shah’s Chennai visit may just be the beginning of a larger game plan for 2026. For now, the political suspense continues.

(The content above has been generated using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.)