AIADMK fallen into subservience, seeking refuge under Amit Shah: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin

Karur (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 18 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday slammed the Opposition AIADMK, alleging that the party has fallen into subservience, seeking refuge under Amit Shah. Exuding confidence in the victory of the DMK in the 2026 Assembly election, CM Stalin stated that "Tamil Nadu is a no-entry zone for the BJP."
While addressing the DMK's "Mupperum Vizha" in Karur, marking the birth anniversaries of social reformer Periyar, DMK founder CN Annadurai and the 76th founding anniversary of the DMK, CM Stalin said, "AIADMK once claimed to stand for self-respect, but today it has fallen into subservience, seeking refuge under Amit Shah. While many parties that promised change and transformation have vanished, the DMK has remained strong".
"Tamil Nadu is a no-entry zone for the BJP. No one can defeat the DMK in this state, and Karur is not just a district; it is the DMK's own land. Since 2019, DMK has won all elections it has faced. This is not a usual victory; we have made all enemies shake. This victory will surely continue in the 2026 assembly election too. Dravidian model 2.0 Governance will surely be formed," he added.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram also alleged that AIADMK, had lost its independence and become "a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BJP".
"AIADMK, a powerful political party and a legacy political party in Tamil Nadu, unfortunately, has lost its independence. It is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BJP," Karti Chidambaram told ANI on Wednesday.
"Even for any small internal problem, they will have to run to Delhi for arbitration. That very clearly shows that they have lost their independence, and the people of Tamil Nadu have lost confidence in them because they don't behave like an independent political party anymore," he added.
On Tuesday, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, accompanied by party colleagues, called on Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan for the first time after his election, in New Delhi.
His visit to the national capital comes in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu, in which the AIADMK and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest in an alliance against the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
On Monday, Palaniswami had praised the BJP for extending consistent support to his party, especially after the demise of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, while strongly criticising the DMK government for its alleged failures in maintaining law and order in Tamil Nadu.
There have been demands within the AIADMK to bring back the leaders who left the party. On September 5, Gobichettipalayam MLA and former School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan raised the demand and set a 10-day deadline for Palaniswami to initiate the process.
However, the AIADMK general secretary relieved Sengottaiyan from the party posts. Sengottaiyan's call was supported by former party leaders O Panneerselvam, VK. Sasikala and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam founder TTV Dhinakaran. (ANI)