2026 TN elections | Congress never threatened DMK like BJP did with ally AIADMK, says Rahul Gandhi during TN rally

CHENNAI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a blistering attack on the AIADMK-led NDA alliance during a campaign speech near Sholinghur in Ranipet district on Saturday afternoon.

“The AIADMK is no longer what it used to be. It is completely under the BJP’s control,” Gandhi alleged, claiming that the national party was “using the Dravidian party to enter Tamil Nadu.”

“We, the Indian National Congress, believe Tamil Nadu should be ruled by Tamil people. No one should rule Tamil Nadu by proxy from Delhi,” he said.

Referring to the Congress alliance with the DMK, Gandhi added, “We partnered with the DMK, but we never attacked them, threatened them, or used the Enforcement Directorate on them. The BJP attacks and threatens the AIADMK leadership.”

He also asserted that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP “can never rule Tamil Nadu.”

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also referred to the defeat of the delimitation-linked constitutional amendment bill, saying "Yesterday, we stopped the BJP’s attempt to reduce the representation of southern states."

The bill had fallen short of the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, receiving 298 votes in favour and 230 against, marking the first time in 12 years that a constitutional amendment bill by the Modi government has been defeated.