Explained : Amit Shah Says NDA Stronger In TN After AMMK’s Return, Dhinakaran Vows To ‘Defeat DMK Together’ | Politics News and Its Impact

Last Updated:January 21, 2026, 23:28 IST

Dhinakaran thanked Shah for welcoming the party in the alliance and said that the AMMK would work with the NDA to defeat the corrupt DMK.

A file photo of TTV Dhinakaran (PTI)

Ahead of Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the TTV Dhinakaran-led Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazagam (AMMK) on Wednesday returned to the NDA in Tamil Nadu, months after walking out of the AIADMK-led bloc, blaming ‘betrayal.’

The announcement came a couple of days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the NDA’s campaign launch meeting near Chennai on January 23.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah welcomed the AMMK chief and said that the alliance is getting stronger for prosperous Tamil Nadu. He said that people of the state are fed up with the DMK government and ready to bless the NDA to take Tamil Nadu to newer heights of development and prosperity.

Stronger NDA for a prosperous Tamil Nadu. I welcome Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam, led by @TTVDhinakaran Ji, on becoming part of the NDA. People of Tamil Nadu are fed up with the corrupt and dynastic rule of the DMK and ready to bless the PM Shri @narendramodi Ji-led NDA to take Tamil Nadu to newer heights of development and prosperity.

Dhinakaran thanked Shah for welcoming the party in the alliance and said that the AMMK would work with the NDA to defeat the corrupt DMK and remove it from power.

“I sincerely thank the Hon’ble Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah Ji, for welcoming and congratulating the Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam on joining the NDA. On behalf of the NDA, I assure that we will work together with full dedication to defeat the corrupt DMK and remove it from power,” he said in a post on X.

Earlier today, Dhinakaran addressed a press conference and said that the decision aimed at defeating the ruling DMK and ensuring stable governance in the state.

“We are going to help the formation that is going to defeat the DMK,” he said.

Stressing the need to move beyond past political differences, he added, “We should not think about the past and not let the people of Tamil Nadu suffer.”

Calling his return to the NDA “a new beginning,” the AMMK leader said compromise was an essential part of politics.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the AMMK general secretary had been part of the NDA but later exited the alliance after it announced AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami as the chief ministerial candidate for the state.

After exiting the NDA, Dhinakaran explored alternative political alignments and was reported to be in talks with actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

However, those efforts did not culminate in a formal alliance, leaving the AMMK outside any major coalition for a period. Later, a meeting between Dhinakaran and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi paved the way for his return to the NDA, with Shah extending an invitation to rejoin the alliance.

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