The BJP's bid to broaden the NDA umbrella in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls has run into resistance, with AMMK (Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam) chief TTV Dhinakaran making it clear that he will not return to the fold so long as AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) remains the alliance's chief ministerial candidate.

Dhinakaran’s blunt rejection came just two days after former state BJP president K Annamalai called on him in Chennai. While the two leaders insisted their hour-long meeting was "not political" and rooted in personal friendship, BJP insiders acknowledged that the outreach was aimed at testing whether the AMMK leader could be persuaded to rejoin the NDA.

"There is no chance (of rejoining the NDA) as long as Palaniswami is the CM candidate," Dhinak

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