NDA steps up preparations for 2026 Assembly elections

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has begun intensifying its preparations for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with key allies AIADMK and BJP rolling out parallel organisational initiatives.

The coordinated moves signal an early and focused effort by the alliance to consolidate its position and mount a strong challenge to the ruling DMK in the State.

AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) formally launched the party’s nomination paper distribution process on December 15 at the party headquarters in Chennai. Marking the start of internal candidate selection, functionaries from Salem district were the first to submit completed nomination forms to EPS. Party sources said nomination papers will be issued daily from 10 am to 5 pm, with December 23 fixed as the deadline for submission. The early start reflects AIADMK’s intent to identify prospective candidates well in advance and strengthen booth-level structures across all 234 Assembly constituencies.

In a parallel organisational push, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed three Union ministers as in-charges for Tamil Nadu. The move is aimed at strengthening the party’s organisational machinery, improving coordination with allies, and preparing the ground for future seat-sharing discussions within the NDA. BJP leaders said the appointments would help streamline election planning, outreach programmes, and alliance management in the run-up to the polls.

The simultaneous actions by AIADMK and BJP underline the NDA’s proactive approach following AIADMK’s return to the alliance earlier this year. With both parties focusing on early candidate scouting, cadre mobilisation, and strategic planning, the NDA hopes to build voter momentum well ahead of the 2026 elections. Sources indicated that preliminary assessments of constituency-wise strengths and weaknesses are already underway.

Going forward, the alliance is expected to focus on coordinated campaigning, combining AIADMK’s strong regional base under EPS’s leadership with BJP’s national-level organisational support. At the same time, rival parties including the DMK and Congress have also begun accelerating their election preparations, setting the stage for an intense political contest in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.