Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin Confident of DMK-Led Alliance's Landslide Victory
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has expressed strong optimism regarding the DMK-led alliance's performance in the upcoming state assembly elections. He confidently predicted that the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes the Congress, Left parties, and the VCK, would secure more than 200 seats in the 234-member Assembly.
Stalin Launches Scathing Attack on BJP Over Women's Reservation Issue
During his address, Stalin launched a sharp critique against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing the Union government of not being serious about implementing reservations for women. He claimed the BJP-led Centre was attempting to use the women's quota as a "weapon" to counter the opposition ahead of the delimitation exercise.
"The Union government is not concerned about implementing reservations for women. If their concerns were genuine, they could have done it right away," Stalin stated. "Rather than doing that, the BJP-led Centre is thinking of using it as a weapon to tackle opposition and take up the delimitation exercise based on population."
He emphasized that women's reservation must be implemented immediately without linking it to delimitation, arguing that states with successful population-control measures should not be penalized.
CM Dismisses AIADMK Chief's Allegations as "Imaginary"
Stalin also targeted AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, dismissing his charge that the Stalin family was a "power centre" as imaginary and intended to divert attention from the DMK government's achievements. He hit back over criticism on women's safety and law and order, citing the Pollachi sexual assault case as a reminder of the previous AIADMK regime's failures.
He alleged that the AIADMK lacked ideology or principle and claimed the Delhi BJP functioned as its headquarters. On delimitation, Stalin accused Palaniswami of being "mute" and effectively backing the BJP's position.
Stalin Criticizes ED Actions as "Centre Produced Dramas"
The Chief Minister described Enforcement Directorate (ED) actions in the TASMAC and sand-mining cases as "Centre produced, ED-enacted dramas" and accused the agency of becoming "servile." He asserted that the alleged TASMAC scam and illegal sand-mining cases were politically scripted.
Defending Welfare Schemes and Looking Ahead
Stalin defended his government's welfare initiatives, highlighting the women's monthly entitlement of Rs 1,000 and the breakfast scheme for schoolchildren as among the initiatives closest to his heart. He announced plans to raise the women's rights scheme to Rs 2,000 in the next term and expand the breakfast programme up to Class 8.
He attributed public support for the DMK to five years of governance and welfare measures, stating, "People have placed immense love and trust in my party, and with their support, the SPA will win more than 200 seats and form the Dravidian Model 2.0 government."
This comes amid the run-up to the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with counting scheduled for May 4. Stalin noted that the DMK-led alliance has remained strong since 2019 and would also perform well in Puducherry, where polling was held on April 9.
