Ruling DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday (March 10, 2026) alleged that the BJP won Bihar polls by showcasing JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar and it has now sidelined him to bring its own nominee as the CM there.
Similarly, by using the AIADMK as a “mask” it was now trying to repeat its Bihar trick in Tamil Nadu and “swallow” the state, he alleged.
Addressing the DMK’s 12th state conference here, Mr. Stalin alleged that AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, out of selfishness and in order to become CM, turned BJP’s “slave” and mortgaged the party in Delhi. Using Mr. Palaniswami, BJP was trying to destroy the entire AIADMK. he alleged.
A ‘Saffron crowd,’ an obvious reference to the BJP, wants to “swallow Tamil Nadu”. DMK will not allow it to happen, the CM asserted.
“The entire country is witnessing what is happening in Bihar, where BJP never had a chief minister. They won polls there by showcasing Nitish Kumar. Now, after winning polls, they are going to bring BJP CM after sidelining Nitish. They are trying to do it in Tamil Nadu too. I am throwing a challenge. BJP can never rule TN till such time I am around and till such time the DMK lasts,” Mr. Stalin said.
To win over the state, BJP was gradually “swallowing” AIADMK, he alleged.
Flaying the AIADMK, Mr. Stalin said that party was not in a position to name its own alliance nor had it anything to claim as its achievements. But unlike the NDA alliance, the DMK delivered upon its promises and sought a second term in office based on its achievements.
“The people are happy because we fulfilled our promises made in 2021,” he said. He claimed that it will be “no entry” for the NDA in Tamil Nadu and asserted that he would continue to rule the state so long as the DMK government’s welfare initiatives lasted.
“It will always be no-entry for NDA in Tamil Nadu, no-entry to NDA’s dabba [dysfunctional] engine in the State…. as long as the welfare schemes we brought are in place, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin will rule Tamil Nadu,” he said. The upcoming Assembly election will see the DMK exposing the BJP by “tearing the AIADMK mask” being worn by it.
“Can people not identify the BJP if AIADMK mask is used,” the CM asked and hit back at rivals TVK and AIADMK over his ‘TN vs NDA and TN vs Delhi’ slogan for the Assembly polls.
He lashed out at the Centre for allegedly denying funds due for the state.
Listing out the numerous initiatives of his government, he said 5.40 lakh male students were provided with a monthly assistance of ₹1,000 under the ‘Tamil Puthalvan Thittam’, while a similar aid was being extended to 6.95 lakh women student beneficiaries of ‘Puthumai Penn Thittam’. As many as 19.34 lakh children benefited through the CM breakfast scheme.
Also, Mr. Stalin listed the monthly grant of ₹1,000 to 1.31 crore women as among the numerous achievements of his five year-old rule.
He said that during the 2016-21 AIADMK regime, only 471 MoUs were signed but in the DMK’s tenure, about 1,190 MoUs were inked.
“The 7-goals outlined in the run up to the 2021 polls, in Tiruchirappalli, have been achieved. We have a legacy, we named the state as Tamil Nadu. We are assembled here to take a vow for the DMK to rule forever,” he said.
Tiruchirappalli was synonymous with a turning point and a big win for the party he said and used a cricket analogy to emphasise that not only the opening runs but also the boundaries made at the close of the game mattered in securing a victory.
So also the DMK would ensure a resounding win in the 2026 Assembly polls, he said and added that he lived for the people and the party workers.
Turning to the party members he said “tell people, polls are all about TN vs NDA, 2026 polls is all about who is going to win.. for the Tamil Nadu team to emerge victorious request people to vote for the DMK and its allies,” he said. “This is the message you must take to the people during the next two months,” Stalin added. The DMK cadres should work hard for the candidates of alliance parties as well. “Our strength is not only our achievements and ideology, but also the alliance; this will be the fourth election the alliance is going to face together and that is also a big strength…our victory is TN’s victory.” DMK leads the 21-party Secular Progressive Alliance, whose constituents include the Congress, Left parties and VCK.
The next five years of Dravidian model rule will surpass the current DMK regime in terms of its achievements, he said and expressed confidence that the party will assume office for the seventh time following win in the polls. “The BJP’s tricks will not work in Tamil Nadu as it will only be us here, only we will win in our soil, we alone will win…even if you perform somersault, use any mask, use any Central agency, TN will always be out of your reach,” Mr. Stalin said.
Published – March 09, 2026 08:41 pm IST
