Madurai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday (June 8) expressed strong confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would secure electoral victories in the 2026 Assembly elections in both Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Addressing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office bearers in Madurai, Shah described the city as a symbol of political transformation and said that the party’s grassroots mobilisation, including the Karyakarta Sammelan (workers’ meeting), would help usher in change by unseating the ruling DMK government in Tamil Nadu.
“In the 2026 Assembly election, the BJP-AIADMK alliance will form the NDA government in Tamil Nadu,” Shah declared, terming the current DMK regime a “100 per cent failure.” He reiterated that the NDA would also form the government in West Bengal.
Shah said, “The NDA government of the BJP-AIADMK alliance will be formed here in 2026. I live in Delhi, but my ears are always on Tamil Nadu. MK Stalin says that Amit Shah cannot defeat DMK. He is right. It’s not me, but the people of Tamil Nadu will defeat you.”
Amit Shah said, “I want to repeat my demand from the Tamil Nadu government that medical and engineering be taught in the Tamil language soon. PM Modi respected Tamil Nadu by installing Sengol in parliament, and I expect MK Stalin to write a letter to the PM to thank him for it.”
Before addressing party functionaries at various levels, state, district, and mandal, Shah chaired a meeting of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu state core committee. Earlier in the day, he offered prayers at the Madurai Meenakshi Temple.
The visit comes after Shah’s announcement in April about reviving the BJP’s alliance with the AIADMK, a move considered strategically significant ahead of the 2026 polls.
BJP Tamil Nadu state president Nainar Nagendran criticised the DMK government over law and order issues, particularly citing a series of violent crimes in the Kongu region. He emphasised the importance of the AIADMK-BJP partnership, calling it a “suitable alliance,” and committed to bringing a significant number of BJP MLAs to the next Assembly, likening the effort to a yatra.
Nagendran also praised Shah as “India’s Iron Man,” drawing a parallel with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. BJP leader K Annamalai reaffirmed the party’s singular focus on dislodging the DMK from power, urging cadres to move forward with resolve and dedication to this goal.
