Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Minister T.R.B. Rajaa along with the party’s and alliance candidates at a campaign meeting near Kamalalayam Tank in Tiruvarur on March 31, 2026.
| Photo Credit: R. Vengadesh
DMK president and Chief Minister M. K. Stalin on Tuesday (March 31, 2026) launched his campaign for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2026 from Tiruvarur by calling upon the people of Tamil Nadu to boycott the [AIADMK-led] National Democratic Alliance and rise above political differences to support the DMK-led alliance “to protect the rights of the State”.
“We will exceed our achievements in the Dravidan Model 2.0 government and take Tamil Nadu to greater heights. On the day of voting, you only need to decide whether you want the anti-Tamil, opportunistic NDA or the continuation of the achievements of the DMK government,” he told the electorate, addressing a rally in Tiruvarur, which “shaped” his father and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.
Coming down strongly on the BJP for denying Tamil Nadu funds and projects for Tamil Nadu, Mr. Stalin said the only objective of the NDA was to stop the development of Tamil Nadu and destroy the achievements of the DMK Government.
According to him, the BJP has done nothing good for Tamil Nadu since it came to power at the Centre. No special scheme was sanctioned for the state, and funds were denied even for drinking water supply schemes. “Despite the obstructions, we have made Tamil Nadu the No.1 State through efficient administration. As we resisted Hindi imposition, we were denied funds for education too. Can we hand over the state to such a treacherous group?,” he queried.
Mr. Stalin said, to protect Tamil Nadu, DMK should return to power; if the State is to continue its march on the path of the development, the DMK government should continue.
“You know how opportunistic is the NDA. The AIADMK has surrendered to the BJP; The AIADMKs general secretary Edappadi K.Palaniswami has become a branch secretary of the BJP,” he charged.
“The NDA has to be uprooted completely to prevent Tamil Nadu from becoming a land of violence. You should understand that we are fighting not only for the victory of DMK and its allies, but for the victory of Tamil Nadu,” Mr. Stalin argued and “as a son of the soil” called upon the people to rise above political differences to support the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance in the election.
Highlighting the salient features, including the “visionary schemes” for the delta region, of the party’s “superstar” election manifesto, Mr. Stalin said they were not mere assurances. “We will definitely implement them,” he said, seeking votes in support of the DMK candidates Poondi K.Kalaivanan (Tiruvarur) and T.R.B.Rajaa (Mannargudi), K.Marimuthu (Thiruthuraipoondi) of CPI, and Mohammed Mubarak (Nannilam) of SDPI.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Stalin visited his grandmother, Anjugam’s memorial at Kattur near Tiruvarur, and also paid a visit to the “Kalaignar Kottam,” in the village, where he garlanded the former Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi’s statue at the memorial.
Interestingly, the DMK president had launched his election campaigns for the 2019 Lok Sabha and the 2021 Assembly elections from Tiruvarur. While he launched the campaign in the outskirts of the town in 2019, his 2021 Assembly election campaign got off to a start near the famous Kamalalayam” tank, from where he launched the campaign on Tuesday (March 31) too.
Published – April 01, 2026 12:38 am IST
