CHENNAI: Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday reiterated that power sharing will not work in Tamil Nadu, ruling out the possibility of a coalition government after the Assembly elections, ahead of seat-sharing talks with alliance partners.
During a rapid-fire session at a media conclave, Stalin said the DMK will seek votes based on its governance record and welfare schemes and expressed confidence that no alliance other than the DMK-led front could win the upcoming election.
"We are confident of winning 200 seats. In fact, we expect to surpass that number and better our 2021 performance," he said, referring to the previous Assembly election in which the DMK won around 135 seats.
In his first direct public response to repeated demands for power sharing from a section in the Congress party, Stalin categorically said such an arrangement would not work in the State.
However, he reiterated his personal rapport with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, stating “we will face the election together, as alliance partners.”
Speaking before the interactive session, the chief minister said the DMK will continue its ‘Dravidian Model 2.0’ journey after the upcoming election.
"Officials from various parts of the country visit Tamil Nadu to study and adopt our welfare schemes. The Union government's recent announcement of hostels for working women is a replica of our State scheme. We are continuously working hard to honour the trust people have placed in us," he said.
Listing out several flagship initiatives of his government, Stalin said the people are noting the "pressure tactics" adopted by the Union government against Tamil Nadu.
Alleging that the BJP was aligning with tainted individuals and spreading misinformation, he mocked the alliance as a "dubba engine" (fake double engine) model. He accused the saffron party of attempting to fuel politics based on hate and division.
Referring to a now deleted video of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma aiming a rifle at two men in skullcaps, he said, "BJP wants to eliminate the values of democracy.
But democratic forces will not allow it. We will get both funds and justice for Tamil Nadu from the Union government. The fascist politics of the BJP will not win in the state," the chief minister said.