Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M. K. Stalin on Monday exuded confidence that more political parties would soon join the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), even as existing allies press for a larger share of seats ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Addressing a leadership conclave in Chennai, Stalin said the alliance, which currently comprises 19 parties, is set to expand further in the coming days. His remarks were widely seen as a signal both to current partners seeking greater representation and to potential new entrants exploring electoral alignments.
Stalin contrasted the SPA’s position with what he described as a lack of clarity within the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, he alleged that the NDA leadership was sending conflicting signals about its electoral strategy.
“While the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister speak about forming an NDA government in Tamil Nadu, Palaniswami repeatedly asserts that the AIADMK will secure a majority on its own and form the government,” Stalin said. “It is a front that does not even have clarity on who is leading it and who is in the driver’s seat,” he added, describing the situation as a “comedy.”
Responding to Modi’s recent remark that the DMK’s dream of returning to power would turn into a nightmare, Stalin countered that the BJP’s own ambition of forming a government in Tamil Nadu had remained elusive.
“Modi has long been dreaming of a BJP government in the State. It has remained a mirage so far and will continue to be so,” he said.
Stalin’s remarks come amid intense political activity in the State, with both the SPA and the NDA engaged in negotiations and strategy discussions as the countdown begins for the next Assembly polls.