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DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday exuded confidence that the DMK-led alliance would achieve an emphatic victory in the 2026 Assembly election in Tamil Nadu even if there was to be a multi-cornered contest. The DMK would definitely form the government for the seventh time, he said in a brief interaction with journalists on the sidelines of a government function organised near Keeranur in Pudukkottai district. Asked whether he saw a “weak” opposition as his strength, Mr. Stalin said: “We neither see it as weak nor strong. We are just doing our job.” To a query on the remarks of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was necessary for Tamil Nadu, he wondered as to why the AIADMK has filed an impleading petition in the case filed by the DMK on the issue in the Supreme Court. He contended that his party was not bothered by the criticisms from the Opposition “as they had had no other work.” Earlier in the day, distributing welfare assistance to beneficiaries and inaugurating various completed projects at the function, Mr. Stalin said the schemes being implemented by the DMK’s ‘Dravidian Model’ of governance had become a model for other States. “The governments in Telangana and Punjab had announced they would implement the Chief Minister’s Free Breakfast Scheme. The same scheme is being implemented in Canada now, which is a victory for our model.” “The BJP had accused the DMK government of making people lazy by giving ‘freebies’. Now, these same schemes are being implemented in BJP-ruled Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh,” Mr. Stalin said, and added that the Vidiyal Payanam (zero ticket bus travel for women) scheme had found a place on poll promises in all States. He said ‘Yellorukkum Yellaam’ (everything for all) was the essence under which the ‘Dravidian Model’ functioned. He charged that those with political intention had been criticising the schemes, and the opposition parties were vilifying the welfare schemes and the beneficiaries. ‘Remain vigilant’ Mr. Stalin appealed to the people to remain vigilant and ensure their names figured on the voters list as the election was fast approaching. He also called upon the people to monitor if fake voters were being added in their respective booths. Stating that the sole job of the Election Commission of India was to conduct free and fair elections, Mr. Stalin alleged that it had not even done that in many States and alleged that the polls were conducted in an “unfair” manner in Haryana. The Election Commission had also remained silent and had not responded to the vote theft allegations that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi brought to its attention with proof, Mr. Stalin added.
