MK Stalin Launches Poll Campaign, Says AIADMK "Fully Under" BJP's Control

The temple town of Madurai, the political capital of Tamil Nadu, crackled with political energy as the Chief Minister and DMK President, M.K. Stalin, formally launched the party's campaign for the 2026 elections at the general council meet. 

Addressing a gathering of party leaders and cadre, Mr Stalin issued a clear call, demanding immediate grassroots mobilisation. "Enrol at least 30% of voters as DMK members within the next two months," he instructed booth committees, setting an ambitious target to solidify the party's base.

Mr Stalin framed the upcoming battle as a defence of Tamil Nadu's identity and progress against the key opposition party, AIADMK, that revived ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He launched a fierce attack on the rival AIADMK, declaring it "fully under BJP's control," accusing its leader, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), of seeking to bring the entire state under Delhi's saffron influence. 

Amit Shah frequently visits Tamil Nadu," Mr Stalin noted pointedly, delivering his signature rebuke: "As I said earlier, no Shah can rule Tamil Nadu. It is always out of control for Delhi."

Mr Stalin alleged that if the BJP-AIADMK alliance wins, then communal clashes, regressive ideologies hindering education and industry, and a relentless assault on Tamil culture through Hindi imposition will occur.

"They would drown us with regressive ideas...erase Tamil Nadu's identity," he alleged, urging cadre to proactively take this message to the people, countering rival narratives on social media and opinion polls. "Our truth should reach before their lies," he asserted, emphasising the need to stay ahead of the political narrative.

Mr Stalin highlighted the strength of the DMK-led alliance, calling allies "our strength for successive victories."

He asked his party cadre to adopt a "give and take" approach, mirroring his politeness and consideration in dealing with alliance partners. The campaign's core message, he stated, must be the DMK's "Everything for Everyone" policy, showcasing their governance which he claimed rescued Tamil Nadu from the "depths" of AIADMK rule, achieving top growth rankings despite alleged economic crippling by the Centre, gubernatorial interference to create obstacles, and erosion of state rights.

The DMK General Council echoed his stance, passing resolutions demanding the Centre abandon population-based delimitation (fearing reduced TN representation), withdraw the Waqf Amendment Act, release withheld funds, cease alleged misuse of investigative agencies, and halt Hindi imposition. They slammed the "divisive Hindutva politics" and centralisation of power while demanding an expedited caste-based census. The battle lines for 2026 were decisively drawn.

Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswamy today denied these allegations. He said, "It is DMK that has betrayed Tamil Nadu. They were in power in Delhi for 16 years, but they did nothing about bringing education under the state list, but when out of power, they raise this".

BJP state Chief Nainar Nagendran said, "Even Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman has explained how the state has received more funds when compared to the UPA regime. How long would you enact this drama?", he added. 

The DMK has countered the argument in the past, saying the right way to compare would be against the then GDP and present GDP to find out how much the state gets.