Contradictory statements on forming of govt. will cost AIADMK, BJP dearly in polls: Udhayanidhi

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday said that contradictory statements by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on the formation of the next government in Tamil Nadu will not even fetch votes for NDA alliance in 2026 Assembly elections.

Addressing at Booth Level Agents (BLAs) for North zone of DMK here, Mr. Udhayanidhi said that Mr. Shah has been repeatedly saying that only coalition government by the NDA will be formed after 2026 elections whereas Mr. Palaniswami keeps insisting that the AIADMK will form government on its own by securing a majority of seats in the Assembly. “Tamil Nadu voters are watching such contradictory statements of leaders in these two parties. Such statements clearly show that there is no unity among NDA alliance partners,” he said.

The DMK’s youth wing secretary criticised Mr. Palaniswami for allying the AIADMK, a political party formed in the name of former Chief Minister and Dravidian stalwart C.N. Annadurai, with the national saffron party, the BJP, that strongly opposes rationalistic principles, for 2026 polls. “People are laughing at the AIADMK after the party joined hands with the BJP to which it earlier said that will never get aligned with BJP for electoral gains. The AIADMK supremo has pledged his party for his vested interests,” he said.

On Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (women’s basic income) scheme, Mr. Udhayanidhi gave hope to those who were left-out in the initial phase of the enrolment under the scheme. He said that a census is being conducted to identify beneficiaries who were left to get enrolled under the scheme. All left-out eligible beneficiaries, who will be enrolled from this month (July), will get the financial assistance from September onwards, he said.

Earlier, Mr. Udhayanidhi flagged two new bus services for women commuters under Magalir Vidiyal Payanam (free bus travel scheme for women) in Tiruvannamalai town.   Mr. Stalin also flagged four more air-conditioned buses - two each for Chennai and Coimbatore. As a gesture of assuming office after Tiruvannamalai became a Municipal Corporation, he handed over the sceptre (sengol) to new Mayor Nirmala Velmaran in the presence of Minister for Public Works and Highways E.V. Velu, Collector K. Tharpagaraj and Corporation Commissioner, S. Selva Balaji.