NDA will form govt in TN in 2026, oust DMK: Amit Shah
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would form government in Tamil Nadu, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Sunday as he launched a scathing attack on the MK Stalin-led DMK government for 'rising corruption, crimes against women and drug mafia' over the last four years. He also reiterated his demand to the state government for teaching medical and engineering courses in Tamil.
'I live in Delhi, but my ears are always on Tamil Nadu,' Shah said. 'The chief minister here says that Amit Shah cannot defeat the DMK. He is right. It won't be me. But, the people of Tamil Nadu will defeat the DMK,' Shah said at a rally in Madurai.
He added: 'MK Stalin says that Amit Shah cannot defeat DMK. He is right. It's not me, but the people of Tamil Nadu will defeat you.'
Both Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are set to go to polls next year.
On April 11, Shah announced that the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will fight the 2026 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu together under the leadership of former chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami.
The announcement, which renewed an alliance that broke off in 2023 amid acrimony, has made the 2026 contest four cornered – the DMK-led INDIA bloc, the AIADMK-led NDA, Seeman's Naam Tamizhar Katchi, and political debutant actor Vijay's Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam.
The incumbent Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has won every election in Tamil Nadu since 2019 and the NDA hopes to maximise its chances by roping in the big Dravidian rival, which last won a state poll in 2016.
The AIADMK, which has ruled Tamil Nadu for 30 out of the last 47 years, has lost every election since J Jayalalithaa's death in 2016.
During his visit to Madurai on Sunday, Shah reiterated his demand to the ruling DMK to teach medical and engineering courses in Tamil.
Amid a raging battle between the ruling DMK and the Centre over language and central funds, the Union minister said: 'The BJP Government at the Centre has provided ₹6.80 lakh crore in the last 10 years to Tamil Nadu and yet the Chief Minister keeps asking what the Centre has done for TN.'
Shah's statement comes weeks after the Tamil Nadu government moved the Supreme Court, alleging that the Union government was withholding of ₹2,151 crore under a centrally-sponsored education scheme, alleging that it was done to 'coerce' and 'force' the state to implement the National Education Policy (NEP).
In its plea filed on May 20, the state sought release of funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme (SSS) for 2024-25. It said the funds were withheld due to the state's refusal to adopt the NEP and opposition to the three-language policy, which includes Hindi.
On the language issue, Shah said: 'I'm reminding the Tamil Nadu government again (about language). You keep talking of Tamil (pride). But why haven't you introduced teaching higher education like engineering in Tamil? I also want to ask Stalin why he has never thanked (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi for installing Tamil's symbol sengol in the Parliament?'
The Union home minister also raked up the alleged Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) case — a state-run alcoholic beverages body — claiming it cost the state exchequer ₹ 39,000 crore, which could otherwise be used to build 'two extra rooms in every school in Tamil Nadu'.
The Enforcement Directorate had recently conducted searches in respect of the ' ₹1,000 crore TASMAC scam'. However, last month, the Supreme Court halted ED proceedings into the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, after hearing a plea by the Tamil Nadu government, who said it was an overreach of the central agency's powers and a violation of the Constitution.
He also alleged that the DMK government committed a sand mining fraud to the tune of ₹4,600 crore, causing poor people of the state to buy sand at inflated prices just to help the ruling party to mint money.
'The DMK government has crossed all limits of corruption...the DMK government was involved in a ₹ 4,600 crore sand mining scam, which has severely impacted the lives of the poor.'
Shah levelled allegations of irregularities in Centre's ₹450-crore nutrition kit programme and said a private firm was given contract leading to graft.
He added: 'Crimes against women, drug mafia are increasing in Tamil Nadu... There is unemployment. But the Tamil Nadu chief minister doesn't care about all this.'
Shah drew in Tamil deity Lord Murugan over the Thiruparankunram issue. Earlier in February, there was tension at a temple (one of the six abodes of Lord Murugan) in Thiruparankundram near Madurai after members of the right wing outfit, Hindu Munnani, held a protest against a demand by a few Muslim organisations to rename the hillock, which is also home to a dargah as Sikander malai (hillock). At the time, the residents here belonging to the Hindu and Muslim communities had said that they have coexisted peacefully for generations. But Shah said that the DMK had insulted Hindu worshippers here. Shah urged people to participate in large numbers on June 22 for BJP's conference on Lord Murugan in Madurai.
Earlier in the day, Shah met district and mandal-level office bearers, chaired the meeting of the state core committee of the Tamil Nadu BJP. He also offered prayers at the Madurai Meenakshi temple.
The DMK hit back at Shah, alleging that crimes against women in Odisha were high since the BJP formed the government in 2024 and said that the conflict in Manipur was an example of the BJP rule.
'Today, Amit Shah has unleashed a barrage of lies against the DMK...' DMK's organising secretary RS Bharathi said. He also accused Shah of using the AIADMK as a puppet to grow in TN. 'It seems that Amit Shah has forgotten about the 2021 assembly elections. He campaigned using BJP's Annamalai, (AIADMK's late stalwarts) MGR and Jayalalithaa. There are many stories of BJP members campaigning without even mentioning Modi's name.'
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