EPS Meets PM Modi at Tiruchi Airport, Calls First Formal Meeting Since Alliance Renewal 'Excellent'

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Tiruchirappalli airport on the night of July 25, receiving him and interacting with him for a few minutes as Modi arrived in the city during a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu.

It was the first time Palaniswami has met the Prime Minister in person since the AIADMK renewed its electoral alliance with the BJP in April, ahead of the 2026 Assembly election.

Speaking exclusively to a pro-AIADMK television channel afterwards, Palaniswami described the brief airport meeting as "excellent," though no policy matters or power-sharing arrangements were reported to have been discussed.

The meeting took place against a backdrop of visible strain in the alliance, with the AIADMK maintaining that it would form a majority government on its own if elected, while the BJP has said any future government would be a coalition with the BJP playing an integral role.

Modi's visit to Tamil Nadu also included the inauguration of a new terminal at Thoothukudi airport and, on July 27, his participation in celebrations at Gangaikonda Cholapuram marking the 1,000th anniversary of Chola emperor Rajendra Chola I's expedition to the Gangetic plains, where he released a commemorative coin.