Tamil Nadu Assembly election: Seat-sharing talks with AIADMK after PM visit, says Nainar Nagenthran

The Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP on Thursday (February 26, 2026) inaugurated its State election office for the upcoming Legislative Assembly polls on the premises of a private wedding hall at Aminjikarai in Chennai. Speaking to the media after, State unit president Nainar Nagenthran said the party would begin seat-sharing talks with its ally, the AIADMK, only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the State on March 1.

Besides Mr. Nagenthran, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan, former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, former Union Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan, and BJP national co-incharge for Tamil Nadu P. Sudhakar Reddy took part in the inauguration.

Mr. Nagenthran later told journalists that the DMK government had failed to appoint a full-time Director General of Police/Head of Police Force, as a result of which “there is a total breakdown of law and order in the State.”

“Instead of holding books in their hands, students are holding weapons and drugs. There are incidents of students attacking their teachers. There is no safety for women, irrespective of age group,” he said.

‘DMK failed to fulfil promises’

According to him, the DMK had failed to fulfil its poll promises and had increased the burden on people by revising property tax and electricity tariff upward. “The announcement of popular welfare measures by the DMK government, including Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam (KMUT), was made with elections in mind. The KMUT was launched after 28 months of the DMK being in power, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The recent cash disbursement as Pongal gift hamper and summer special relief packages were given only in view of the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections. Why were such cash assistance measures not given last year?” he questioned.

He said the objective of the NDA was to unseat the DMK from power. On seat-sharing talks with the AIADMK, he said discussions would begin only after the Prime Minister’s scheduled visit to Tamil Nadu on March 1.

Responding to a question about former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s aide V.K. Sasikala launching a political party and its potential impact on the NDA, Mr. Nagenthran said, “People of Tamil Nadu are on our side and there will be no impact on our alliance.”