CHENNAI: Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday warned that a change in government could push Tamil Nadu towards political unrest and instability if the party failed to retain power.
Addressing a meeting of party booth-level agents at Tiruvidanthai near Mahabalipuram, Stalin said voters must be clearly told who should not be allowed to form the government. He alleged that if any party other than the DMK came to power, it would effectively amount to a government controlled by the BJP leadership in Delhi, and that several welfare schemes of the present government could be discontinued. The direction of the state's politics could shift from development to unrest and riots, he warned.
The Chief Minister noted that the upcoming Assembly election would not merely be a contest between two alliances. "This will be a contest between the Tamil Nadu team and the Delhi team. The state's future will be decided in this election," he said. In a veiled attack on the BJP, he described it as a "poisonous seed" that should not be allowed to take root in Tamil Nadu, and said the Dravidian model would not bow to what he termed the BJP's "double engine" politics.
Stating that he would oversee all poll-related matters, including alliances, seat-sharing and candidate selection, Stalin said victory required unity and close coordination between DMK cadres and alliance partners.
The DMK chief said that if each booth agent secured at least 350 votes as planned, the party could garner more than 2.60 crore votes across the State. He urged cadres to convert public goodwill into votes and to continue canvassing until the campaign's last minute.
Rejecting claims of anti-incumbency, he said there was only a pro-incumbency mood in Tamil Nadu and that the DMK had gained more support than in the 2021 Assembly election.
He asked booth agents to campaign vigorously on the government’s welfare schemes and to build confidence among voters that Tamil Nadu’s growth could match global standards in the next five years. DMK treasurer TR Baalu and deputy general secretary A Raja were present at the meeting.