Amit Shah in Chennai today, to meet AIADMK leaders

At the Chennai airport, HM Shah was received by BJP Tamil Nadu state president K. Annamalai, Union Minister of State L. Murugan, and senior leaders Tamilisai Soundararajan, Nainar Nagendran, and Pon Radhakrishnan.

Amit Shah is expected to address the media at a private hotel in Guindy at noon.

Sources confirmed that Shah, the BJP's principal strategist, will meet AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), along with senior leaders of the Dravidian major. These discussions are expected to play a decisive role in formalising the alliance.

During his visit, HM Shah is also scheduled to hold several high-level meetings with leaders from the BJP and the RSS.

One of the key figures he is likely to meet is S. Gurumurthy, noted RSS ideologue and Editor of 'Thuglak' magazine. This visit comes on the heels of Shah's recent meeting with EPS in New Delhi. EPS was accompanied by senior AIADMK leaders and former ministers S.P. Velumani and K.P. Munusamy, which had already sparked widespread speculation about a possible reunion between the two parties.

The BJP- AIADMK alliance, which had been intact for several years, collapsed in September 2023. The fallout was largely attributed to tensions sparked by controversial statements made by K. Annamalai against iconic Dravidian leaders such as C.N. Annadurai (Anna) and J. Jayalalithaa. These remarks deeply upset the AIADMK leadership and led to the alliance's breakdown. Notably, the alliance had produced significant results in the 2021 Assembly elections, with the BJP winning four seats and the AIADMK securing 66. However, relations deteriorated after Annamalai was appointed as state BJP president.

The impact of the split was visible in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where both parties suffered major setbacks. Recognising the political vacuum in Tamil Nadu, several senior RSS leaders have reportedly urged the BJP central leadership to rebuild ties with a major Dravidian party -- viewing AIADMK as the only viable option, with the DMK being considered a political adversary.

According to insiders, these RSS functionaries have emphasised the urgency of formalising any alliance well ahead of the 2026 polls to ensure enough time for ground-level coordination and campaign strategies.

The AIADMK leaders have also conveyed that EPS requested HM Shah to consider replacing Annamalai as the BJP's state president to smoothen relations between the parties. In a significant development, Annamalai announced on April 4 that he is not aspiring for any position and would continue to serve the party as a dedicated cadre.

As HM Shah's visit unfolds, political observers across Tamil Nadu are closely watching whether the BJP and AIADMK can put past differences behind them and forge a fresh alliance in time for the next major electoral battle.