Chennai

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday launched a blistering critique of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, projecting the forthcoming Assembly elections as a direct contest between the National Democratic Alliance and the state of Tamil Nadu.

Addressing a public function in Chennai, Stalin said his government’s record stood in sharp contrast to what he described as the BJP’s politics of “violence, hate speech and regressive thinking.” He asserted that Tamil Nadu’s development trajectory under the Dravidian Model had delivered results despite what he called sustained pressure and hurdles from the Union government.

Claiming multiple firsts, the chief minister said Tamil Nadu had emerged as the only state to post double-digit economic growth, adding that even the BJP-led Centre had acknowledged the state as the country’s top performer economically. He also pointed to the state’s leading position on the Human Development Index as a source of pride.

Taking aim at BJP-ruled “double-engine” states, Stalin questioned their development credentials, arguing that none could match Tamil Nadu’s performance. “Our achievements were realised without the Centre’s backing—indeed, in spite of obstacles created by it,” he said.

Stalin recalled assuming office in 2021 with a decade-long roadmap and said implementation had progressed faster than expected. He pledged to continue working in “mission mode” over the next five years to realise that vision.

Responding to Prime Minister Modi’s recent remarks on delays to the Maduravoyal road project, Stalin blamed the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for court stays during its tenure. He said his government later coordinated with the Centre, secured approvals and ensured that work is now moving ahead.

Equating the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam with development, Stalin accused the prime minister of stoking policy confusion ahead of the elections, alleging a lack of tangible achievements to showcase. He also mocked the BJP-AIADMK alliance, calling it a “comedy” over uncertainty about leadership, after Modi spoke of an NDA government while AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami shared the stage.

Reiterating his campaign slogan, Stalin said every visit by Modi and the Union Home Minister only reinforced his framing of the contest as “NDA vs Tamil Nadu.” Promising to break new ground with “Dravidian Model 2.0,” he declared, “This election is Tamil Nadu versus Delhi—and Tamil Nadu will prevail.”

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The 234-member Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is scheduled to go to the polls in the first half of 2026, with the Stalin-led alliance set to pitch its development model against the BJP–AIADMK combine.