The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) faction led by S Ramadoss and the All India Puratchi Thalaivar Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam of former Jayalalithaa aide V K Sasikala on Friday announced their decision to jointly contest the coming elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Sources familiar with the discussions said the alliance was likely to focus on around 100 seats even if it formally declares candidates for all 234 constituencies in Tamil Nadu. “Ramadoss will contest 40 seats in north Tamil Nadu and Sasikala’s party will contest 60 seats in the delta and southern regions,” said a source.
The announcement came after a meeting between Ramadoss, the PMK founder, and Sasikala at the former’s Thailapuram residence in Viluppuram district, where both decided on the contours of the alliance. “The alliance will function with the objective of removing the symbols of betrayal in Tamil Nadu and of advancing the welfare of the people, as well as strengthening the self-respect and autonomy of Tamil Nadu,” they said in a joint statement.
Later, Sasikala told reporters, “We have formed a new alliance. Our candidates will achieve a massive victory in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Assembly elections.” Echoing her, Ramadoss said: “Our alliance is a victorious one. It will achieve a grand victory. Our alliance will contest in all 234 constituencies. Parties that firmly stand by our ideology may join us.”
A calculated disruption?
The alliance is being seen in political circles as a tactical disruption aimed squarely at the AIADMK–NDA combine. Sources said Sasikala was mobilising resources to spend at least Rs 3 crore per constituency, while Ramadoss is expected to commit around Rs 2 crore for each seat. The investment signals an intent not merely to participate, but to compete to alter margins and affect outcomes.
Politically, the strategy is layered. Sasikala’s campaign is expected to focus on the southern and delta districts, where her residual networks and community linkages remain intact. Her OBC Thevar community has a significant presence in these regions. Ramadoss who is from the OBC Vanniyar community, the largest backward class community in the state, will anchor the alliance in the north.
Together, they are expected to target vulnerabilities within the AIADMK-BJP alliance and its allies. Sasikala’s messaging is likely to centre on her long-standing grievance against AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, whom she accuses of betrayal and of capturing her mentor Jayalalithaa’s party. Ramadoss, on the other hand, is expected to frame his campaign around internal dissent, particularly aimed at the “betrayal” of his son Anbumani who has joined hands with the Opposition alliance.
The result, sources said, could be a significant erosion of vote share in tightly contested constituencies. Even a swing of 1,000 votes in certain seats, particularly after the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, could prove decisive.
The return of a solitary figure
For Sasikala, the alliance marks a decisive step in what has been a long and uncertain political return. For nearly three decades, she operated in the shadows of Jayalalithaa, managing the inner workings of power without seeking public office. She handled alliance negotiations, candidate selections and crisis management, while remaining firmly behind the scenes.
That changed after Jayalalithaa died in 2016.
Sasikala briefly appeared poised to inherit control of both the party and government, only to be convicted in a disproportionate assets case in early 2017 and sent to prison in Bengaluru. Before leaving, she convened AIADMK MLAs and facilitated the appointment of a successor as CM, a decision that would later shape her political estrangement.
In her absence, the party fragmented. Over time, Palaniswami consolidated his hold, while O Panneerselvam and T T V Dhinakaran emerged as competing centres of influence.
By the time Sasikala came out of prison in 2021, the political ground beneath her had shifted. She announced she would “step aside” from politics ahead of the Assembly elections, a move widely interpreted as an attempt to avoid splitting the AIADMK vote. Efforts at reconciliation with the party failed, and her subsequent attempts to regain a foothold did not materialise.
Her isolation deepened. She sought to bring together Panneerselvam and Dhinakaran under a common platform, but neither of them joined her. Legal complications, including the “Two Leaves” symbol case, altered alignments. Dhinakaran moved closer to the NDA and has since announced he will not contest the election. Panneerselvam, too, has charted an independent course and is now in the DMK, the ruling party.
Who is in Sasikala’s team?
The alliance with Ramadoss now offers Sasikala a structure, and perhaps a path back to political relevance. Her current team reflects both continuity and reinvention. Former MLA Mulachur Perumal and former Tenkasi MP Vasanthi Murugesan, a Dalit leader, are among the prominent faces. Velladurai, a retired Additional Superintendent of Police and a former encounter specialist — now deployed in a more political terrain — is another key figure.
The geography of the alliance is equally telling. In at least 13 districts — Dindigul, Theni, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Tiruchi — Sasikala’s presence is expected to be felt. These regions together account for around 60 constituencies, where even marginal vote shifts could affect outcomes.
And if this “fifth front” ends up having the impact it is hoping for, it will be the DMK that may end up benefitting.
The alliance with Ramadoss now offers Sasikala a structure, and perhaps a path back to political relevance. Her current team reflects both continuity and reinvention. 
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