Tamil Nadu Polls 2026: AIADMK needs Delhi's consent to even face elections, says MK Stalin

DMK president and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Friday hit out at the NDA saying that the AIADMK would not hesitate to pawn off Tamil Nadu to Delhi, just as the main opposition in the state had done with its own party. His comments come a day after AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami met Union home minister Amit Shah for alliance discussions in Delhi.

Criticising Palaniswami, the CM asked whether his intention to visit the capital was to reclaim the funds that were due to Tamil Nadu or to demand completion of stalled developmental projects in the state, to protect the state rights or even to resolve the ongoing LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinder shortage. "The Opposition NDA is least bothered about the LPG shortage situation in homes in Tamil Nadu, and despite that, they continue their seat-sharing talks," Stalin said in a letter to party cadre.

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"The people of Tamil Nadu will never permit domination by Delhi and the slaves of Delhi. The people have realised that they will have to suffer every day if the state is under the control of those who need Delhi's consent to even face the election."

The matter intensified when PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss and AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran also left for Delhi on Friday morning for alliance talks, further fuelling the notion that the BJP was calling the shots.

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Stalin has consistently portrayed the upcoming election as a battle between Tamil Nadu (DMK-led alliance) and Delhi (BJP-led alliance), and has lashed out at the Opposition for being puppets of the BJP.

He highlighted the schemes and achievements of the DMK government, and shared the vision for the years ahead. He also said that the DMK's manifesto for the assembly polls would be released soon.