Chennai, March 2 Taking a sharp swipe at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu, DMK President and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday questioned the clarity of leadership within the opposition front, asking whether its constituents even knew who was heading the alliance in the state.
Referring to the NDA’s public meeting in Madurai on Sunday, Stalin pointed to what he described as a contradiction in messaging.
While AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami had projected the alliance as one led by his party and expressed confidence of victory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken about forming an "NDA government" in Tamil Nadu.
"The constituents themselves are not sure who is heading the alliance", Stalin remarked, suggesting a lack of cohesion within the opposition bloc.
Reiterating his earlier assertion that the forthcoming Assembly election would be a contest between "Tamil Nadu and the NDA", the Chief Minister said recent visits by Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah only reinforced his position.
"Many questioned me when I described it as Tamil Nadu versus the NDA. But every time they visit the State, they confirm what I have said," he contended.
Framing the political battle as one between "regional self-respect and central dominance", Stalin said the election would be a fight between "Team Tamil Nadu and Team Delhi".
He expressed confidence that the people of the state would rally behind his government.
"Tamil Nadu will win in this electoral contest," he asserted.
Responding to a question about former political critics joining the DMK-led alliance and whether that posed a challenge, Stalin dismissed the notion of opportunism.
"This is not merely an arithmetic alliance. It is an alliance of principles," he said, underlining that ideological compatibility, rather than numbers alone, defined his coalition.
On Prime Minister Modi’s reported remarks in Madurai that the DMK’s hopes of retaining power would remain a mirage, Stalin said the BJP’s ambitions in Tamil Nadu had long failed to materialise.
"Modi has been dreaming of forming a BJP government here. But that dream has remained a mirage," he said, adding that the people of Tamil Nadu would once again deliver their verdict decisively.
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