<p>Chennai: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami is believed to have asked party functionaries and leaders to avoid “unnecessary criticism” of political parties other than the DMK and BJP as he looks to cobble up a coalition to face the 2026 Assembly elections. </p><p>Palaniswami is understood to have made the remarks at a meeting of AIADMK district secretaries here on Wednesday to discuss the strategy to be adopted for the Assembly elections. </p><p>The comments come amid speculation of a rift within the DMK alliance and newbie politician Vijay keeping his doors open for alliance partners who would accept his leadership. </p>.Development projects rain on Coimbatore as DMK eyes 2026 polls.<p>Sources told DH that Palaniswami asked leaders to go full throttle against the DMK and BJP, making it clear that they were the AIADMK’s electoral and political opponents. In this backdrop, he told functionaries that it would be advisable if the leaders avoided unnecessary criticism of political parties, who could be potential allies of the AIADMK.</p><p>The AIADMK, which suffered a drubbing in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls after losing almost all its alliance partners to the BJP, is looking to form a “strong alliance” and believes that the party walking out of the NDA will help court “secular” parties. Palaniswami has been claiming that the DMK alliance will not continue for long, thereby extending an olive branch to political parties in the state. </p><p>During the meeting, Palaniswami asked the district secretaries to take the “anti-people” policies of the DMK government in the next 18 months to ensure that the AIADMK returns to power. The Leader of Opposition has also been consistent in his stand of not aligning with the BJP. </p>
<p>Chennai: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami is believed to have asked party functionaries and leaders to avoid “unnecessary criticism” of political parties other than the DMK and BJP as he looks to cobble up a coalition to face the 2026 Assembly elections. </p><p>Palaniswami is understood to have made the remarks at a meeting of AIADMK district secretaries here on Wednesday to discuss the strategy to be adopted for the Assembly elections. </p><p>The comments come amid speculation of a rift within the DMK alliance and newbie politician Vijay keeping his doors open for alliance partners who would accept his leadership. </p>.Development projects rain on Coimbatore as DMK eyes 2026 polls.<p>Sources told DH that Palaniswami asked leaders to go full throttle against the DMK and BJP, making it clear that they were the AIADMK’s electoral and political opponents. In this backdrop, he told functionaries that it would be advisable if the leaders avoided unnecessary criticism of political parties, who could be potential allies of the AIADMK.</p><p>The AIADMK, which suffered a drubbing in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls after losing almost all its alliance partners to the BJP, is looking to form a “strong alliance” and believes that the party walking out of the NDA will help court “secular” parties. Palaniswami has been claiming that the DMK alliance will not continue for long, thereby extending an olive branch to political parties in the state. </p><p>During the meeting, Palaniswami asked the district secretaries to take the “anti-people” policies of the DMK government in the next 18 months to ensure that the AIADMK returns to power. The Leader of Opposition has also been consistent in his stand of not aligning with the BJP. </p>