CHENNAI: DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin, who has positioned the ensuing Assembly election as a battle between ‘Tamil Nadu and Delhi’, questioned the frequent trips of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and other opposition leaders to Delhi, alleging that the key political decisions are being dictated from Delhi.
In Stalin’s letter to his party cadre, he asked if Palaniswami’s visits to Delhi were meant to secure Tamil Nadu’s rights or merely to negotiate political arrangements.
“Why are the Leader of the Opposition and his associates in Delhi? Is it to obtain funds denied to Tamil Nadu? To ensure stalled projects are implemented? To protect state rights? To address the shortage of cooking gas cylinders? No, not at all,” he said. “That is why I keep saying — the 2026 election is a contest between Tamil Nadu and Delhi,” he added.
Stalin also questioned the autonomy of the AIADMK party. “Those who need Delhi’s approval even to face the election, if TN falls into their hands, what suffering will people face every day,” Stalin asked, and alleged that Palaniswami has pledged his party for his self-interest and will not hesitate to mortgage Tamil Nadu to Delhi.
Furthermore, asking his party workers to intensify their ground work ahead of the election, Stalin said that the DMK’s welfare schemes will ensure its victory.
DMK senior leader and minister K N Nehru also slammed Palaniswami for his visit to Delhi to hold alliance talks with Union Minister Amit Shah.
“Is Palaniswami running to Delhi what is being called ‘leading the alliance’? This is no longer an AIADMK alliance; it is a BJP alliance,” he said. Nehru also pointed out that if the AIADMK was truly leading the alliance, seat-sharing talks should have taken place at its headquarters.