All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)

What it is: The AIADMK is a Tamil Nadu political party. Wikipedia records that the film star M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) founded it on 17 October 1972 after the DMK's president, M. Karunanidhi, expelled him when, as the party's treasurer, he demanded an account of its funds. The "All India" was added in 1976.

Its leaders, in order

• MGR, general secretary from 1972 and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 to 1987.
• Janaki Ramachandran, Chief Minister for 23 days from 7 January 1988.
• J. Jayalalithaa, general secretary from 1 January 1988 and Chief Minister at several points between 1991 and 2016, until her death in December 2016.
• O. Panneerselvam and Edappadi K. Palaniswami as joint coordinator and coordinator from August 2017 to June 2022.
• Palaniswami, general secretary since 11 July 2022; he was Chief Minister from February 2017 to May 2021.

Its dealings with the BJP: Wikipedia lists the AIADMK as part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in 1998 and 1999, 2004, 2019 to 2023 and from 2025. It withdrew support from the Vajpayee government in April 1999, which led the government to lose a no-confidence vote.

Why it appears in this record: The sources opened for this page show no direct part for the AIADMK in Punjab's history. It is here because the Bahujan Dravida Party (BDP), a party of mostly Tamil Sikhs, names it as a target. ANI reported on 31 March 2026 that the BDP's national president, Jeevan Singh, said the DMK and the AIADMK had "failed to fulfil their purpose" although they began with a social justice agenda, that their commitment exists mostly on paper, that they neglect Periyar's ideas in practice, and that they have let down the lower sections of society. He told ANI that Sikhism is needed in Tamil Nadu for social transformation.

Where it stands: In the Assembly election of 23 April 2026, with results on 4 May, the AIADMK won 47 of 234 seats in an alliance linked to the NDA. Vijay's TVK won 108 seats and formed the government with Congress support, and the AIADMK lost the post of official opposition to the DMK, according to Wikipedia.