The BJP is hopeful of keeping the NDA intact till the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

With the BJP having decided to support PMK candidate C. Anbumani in the by-election for the Vikaravandi Assembly constituency scheduled for July 10, the focus is on whether the NDA, which won around 18% of the votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, will remain intact in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss recently said that his party wants to form a “coalition government” in Tamil Nadu without the support of the DMK and AIADMK. BJP state leader K Annamalai made a similar statement after the Lok Sabha election results were announced.

A PMK leader alleged that the decision to field Anbumani was a “strategy for the by-elections”. “We have a strong base in Vikravandi. Who will the AIADMK voters support? [which has decided to boycott the byelection] “Will they vote? I don’t think they will vote for the DMK. We are hoping that the AIADMK votes will go to us. We will fight strongly,” the PMK leader said.

“The Prime Minister’s Office continues to work with the NDA and that is our decision for this by-election. The future will be decided later,” the Prime Minister’s Office leader said in response to a question on the possibility of the NDA remaining unchanged till 2026.

The BJP, which is trying to present the alliance as an alternative to the two major Dravidian parties, is hopeful of retaining power. “The people of Tamil Nadu are unhappy with the mismanagement of the current DMK government. Worsening law and order and rising unemployment are major concerns for the people. Moreover, despite having over 60 state legislators in the parliament, the AIADMK has failed to live up to its responsibilities as the main opposition party. People have forgotten about the AIADMK and seen the BJP as an alternative,” said state vice-president Narayanan Tirupati.

Tirupati further said that though the DMK and the AIADMK occupy the top two positions in Tamil Nadu, things are changing. “The NDA has pushed the AIADMK to third place in around 80 state assembly constituencies in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Our alliance remains intact and we will fight the 2026 state assembly elections together to defeat the Dravidian parties,” he said.

Dr Anbumani had previously said that the PMK would be part of a coalition government, but that would depend on whether Annamalai is open to having a PMK leader as the NDA’s prime ministerial candidate. These are issues that may be taken up in 2026, but for now the PMK will continue to be part of the NDA.