COIMBATORE: Putting to rest the speculations of any truce with the BJP for the 2026 assembly election, AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday reiterated that the party’s stand is not to have any alliance with BJP.
Speaking to reporters at Coimbatore International Airport he said, “We have already clarified that there is no alliance with the BJP during the Assembly election. Our enemy is DMK and our aim is to remove this anti-people government from power.”
Reacting to Deputy Chief Minister Udhyanidhi’s challenge to Palaniswami to have a debate with him on the government schemes implemented by the DMK and AIADMK governments, EPS said, “I had invited only Chief Minister MK Stalin for a debate and the CM should answer it. To answer Udayanidhi, there are former ministers in AIADMK.”
Terming Udhayanidhi as “worse than his father”, EPS said, “Udayanidhi knows nothing. He only speaks, and act upon nothing. During the AIADMK regime, we have implemented various schemes. We have asked CM Stalin to answer what projects/schemes were implemented during the DMK regime. However, the deputy CM is answering it. Where is the CM? Is he accepting accepting our charge that he is not skilled and is a puppet CM?”
Palaniswami further said in Tamil Nadu, there are four chief ministers, and that’s why Udayanidhi is answering their questions.
Reacting to Stalin praising Udayanidhi and giving cent per cent marks for his work, the opposition leader questioned whether the other ministers have not performed well.
To a query on whether AIADMK will forge an alliance with actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam, Palaniswami said there is one-and-a-half years to go for the assembly election.
Responding to Stalin’s criticism against him, Palaniswami said he (Stalin) has criticised him personally, while holding the post of the CM. “In fact, the DMK government is implementing the schemes that were announced during the AIADMK regime, like the Pillur drinking water scheme in Coimbatore district and the Avinashi Athikadavu scheme etc,” he said.
He has also urged the state government to handover the ownership of the land acquired for Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) to all the owners. “The CM has given orders to hand over the ownership of only 410 acres of land, and that too based on court orders,” Palaniswami added.