DMK has no locus standi to question AIADMK-BJP tie-up, says Palaniswami

The Hindu

07-07-2025

Having aligned with the BJP for the 1999 Lok Sabha and 2001 Assembly elections and shared power at the Centre (1999-2003), the DMK has no locus standi to criticise the AIADMK's alliance with the national party for the 2026 Assembly election, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Monday, starting off his State-wide campaign from Mettupalayam in Coimbatore.
The campaign is titled 'Puratchi Tamizharin Ezhuchi Payanam-Makkalai Kaapom, Tamizhagathai Meetpom'.
Mr. Palaniswami, who began the campaign under the Z+ security protection announced by the Union government just days earlier, addressed people from a retractable podium atop a customised bus painted green and featuring the photos of him and former Chief Ministers C.N. Annadurai, M.G. Ramachandran, and Jayalalithaa.
Scores of AIADMK and BJP workers took part in Mr. Palaniswami's first-ever joint road show with BJP leaders, three months after the alliance was forged.
The Leader of the Opposition wondered how the BJP could be perceived as 'ideal' by the DMK when it was in its company and castigated as 'communal' when it was in alliance with the AIADMK. 'The people cannot be cheated any more,' Mr. Palaniswami said, directing his tirade at DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
The DMK, he said, had done precious little for Tamil Nadu despite enjoying power for 16 years through tie-ups with the BJP and the Congress and under the governments of V.P. Singh and I.K. Gujral. However, the ruling party was now complaining about insufficient funds from the Union government, he said.
By implementing 'only 15% of its 525 promises' for the 2021 Assembly election, hampering the implementation of the AIADMK government's people-centric initiatives like the Amma Mini Clinic, and steeply increasing the property tax and electricity tariff, the DMK was certain to face defeat in 2026, Mr. Palaniswami told a huge gathering of supporters.
The DMK had failed to maintain law and order, he said, referring to the custodial death of a temple guard in Sivaganga as the latest instance. Women of all ages were unsafe. In contrast, the AIADMK administration was flawless from 2011 to 2021, he said.
'Rudderless alliance'
Mr. Palaniswami questioned the rationale behind the DMK's alliance with the Congress as it was utilising every opportunity to capitalise on the 'travails' during Emergency. The INDIA bloc that Mr. Stalin was talking up quite often had been rendered rudderless after the exit of the Aam Aadmi Party.
'After assuming power in 2026', the AIADMK would revive phase II of the Athikadavu-Avinashi project and bring in a number of people-friendly schemes with substantial funding from the BJP government that had been elected for the third term under the laudable leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Palaniswami said.
Mr. Palaniswami as well as BJP Tamil Nadu president Nainar Nagendran and Union Minister L. Murugan urged their party cadre work in unison for the victory of the alliance.
In his brief speech, Mr. Nagendran even referred to Mr. Palaniswami as the 'future Chief Minister'.
The BJP leaders also shared the podium with Mr. Palaniswami atop the campaign bus. All the senior leaders of both parties took part in the campaign that covered Karamadai, Periyanaickenpalayam, Thudiyalur, and Kavundampalayam, the areas considered strongholds of both parties.