Tamil Nadu LoP Palaniswami accuses CM Stalin of stealing AIADMK's plans ahead of 2026 polls

Kallakurichi (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 6 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Leader of Opposition (LoP) and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami claimed that the alliance will "win big in 2026 elections," while alleging that "sexual assaults are happening under the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) regime."
Addressing the AIADMK's women conference in Kallakurichi on Monday, Palaniswami accused Chief Minister M.K. Stalin of taking credit for plans originally proposed by the AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam).
"AIADMK alliance will win big in 2026 elections. Stalin, who visited the Kallakurichi district a few days ago, has left after lying. They are now revealing the plans that the AIADMK brought, claiming that they did it. He named the child I gave birth to. Sexual assaults are happening under this regime," he said.
His remarks came after Stalin, on Friday, launched and inaugurated development projects worth over Rs 1,700 crore in Kallakurichi district.
During the event, he strongly criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and asserted that Tamil Nadu has emerged as a model of inclusive growth under the Dravidian model of governance.
"Tamil Nadu has made progress to the point where it has created a peaceful living environment in Tamil Nadu where religious fanatics do not fear it, and that 20 lakh students will be provided with laptops with an AI subscription. Growth rate under the AIADMK regime has not even reached 5 per cent, and he is expressing it as a challenge, and that Tamil Nadu has been ruined under the ten-year AIADMK regime," Stalin said.
Stalin said the Dravidian model government has ensured social justice, women's empowerment and opportunities for youth, while also improving infrastructure and welfare delivery. He asserted that Tamil Nadu has progressed despite what he described as repeated attempts by the Union government to hinder its growth.
"Tamil Nadu has risen by leaps and bounds under the Dravidian model regime. Now, despite the Union government's deceit, Tamil Nadu has grown beyond the speed breakers they put up, saying it should never grow. But there are some in Tamil Nadu who say that they will not see any of this, they will not speak the truth, they will not talk about the achievements of Tamil Nadu. In a developed India where the 2026 election verdict is in favour of the Dravidian model government, there is another India in the states where the BJP can rule, poverty, religious fanaticism, mob killings, attempts to ruin education, unemployment, this is the India with the BJP," he alleged. (ANI)