"Not ready to ally with NDA": Pugazhendi launches new political party, Puratchi ADMK

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 4 (ANI): VA Pugazhendi, founder of the newly formed Puratchi Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Puratchi ADMK), on Wednesday announced the launch of his party, calling it a "revolutionary" force in Tamil Nadu politics.
Speaking to ANI, Pugazhendi said, "I have started a new party. Its name is Puratchi Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Puratchi means revolutionary. Unfortunately, Palaniswami allied with the NDA. We are not ready to do the same."
Earlier on Tuesday, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami left for Chennai after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah on March 2 to discuss the political situation in Tamil Nadu and strategies ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Addressing reporters at the airport, Palaniswami said the meeting at the Union Home Minister's residence focused on the current political landscape in the state and ways to strengthen the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the polls.
He added that the AIADMK is in talks with several other parties regarding potential alliances, and some are expected to join the NDA bloc. He also clarified that there have been no discussions about including VK Sasikala's party in the alliance.
"Last night, we met the Union Home Minister at his residence and discussed the political situation in Tamil Nadu. We also discussed how we should proceed in the upcoming elections. We are talking to some parties about alliances, and they are likely to join our alliance. We have not had any discussions about Sasikala's party joining our alliance," Palaniswami said.
Earlier on Sunday, he had projected a decisive victory for the NDA in the state, asserting that the alliance is likely to win around 210 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Addressing a public meeting of the NDA, Palaniswami launched a sharp attack at the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), calling it an "anti-people government" which the alliance aims to dethrone. He further asserted that AIADMK will form a government after the victory of the NDA in the state assembly elections.
"During the election period, everyone must unite and work energetically in all 234 constituencies like bees to ensure the victory of the candidates announced by the National Democratic Alliance. In the upcoming Legislative Assembly general election, our alliance will win around 210 seats, and the AIADMK will form the government," he said.
The 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly will go to the polls in the first half of 2026, where the MK Stalin-led alliance will look to project the 'Dravidian Model 2.0' for the win against the BJP-AIADMK alliance.
Actor-turned-politician Vijay's entry with his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is expected to turn the Tamil Nadu polls into a three-way contest.
In the 2021 polls, the DMK won 133 seats in the 2021 Assembly polls. Congress won 18, PMK won five, VCK won four, and others won eight seats. The Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), led by DMK, which consisted of Congress, won 159 seats collectively. While the NDA won 75 seats, the AIADMK emerged as the largest party in the alliance with 66 seats. (ANI)