DMK’s Downfall Certain, NDA Will Form Next Government in Tamil Nadu: Amit Shah

Sharpening its attack on the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, which is a key partner in the National INDIA block, union Home Minister and BJP's master poll strategiest Amit Shah on Sunday evening asserted the downfall of DMK and that NDA will win the ensuing key Assembly elections due in 4 months' time.

In his address at the conclusion of his nearly two-month long state-wide "Tamilagam Thalai Nimira Tamizhanin Payanam" (Tamizhan's Journey for Tamil Nadu to hold its head high) yatra here, also attended by union Industries and Commerce Minister and BJP elections in-charge of TN Piyush Goyal, the union Home Minister said like now INDI alliance was defeated in the recent Bihar elections, the NDA will win the upcoming elections in TN and West Bengal and form the next government in these states.

Mr Amit Shah, while stating that a Modi'fied' TN will flourish under NDA, Mr Amit Shah strongly slammed the 'dynastic' DMK rule and asked the people whether they wanted a government under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a question that was met with enthusiastic approval from the crowd.

He also apologised for his limited Tamil language skills, saying he regretted being unable to speak Tamil fluently while addressing the people of the land historically ruled by the Chola empire.

Mr Amit Shah Shah asserted that the NDA-an alliance of BJP and its regional partners including the main Opposition AIADMK, with which the saffron party has revived its electoral ties, would definitely win the assembly elections and form the next government by April.

He also launched a scathing attack on the DMK government, claiming that it was rampant with correction and Chief Minister M K Stalin and DMK's main goal was to make his son and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin as the next Chief Minister and this dream would not get fulfilled.

Accusing the DMK regime of adopting dynastic politics, he said the law and order had deteriorated in the state and there was lack of safety for women in the state, while urging to end what he described as one-family dominance in state politics.

Reiterated that the AIADMK–BJP alliance headed by the former, was a partnership that has the wherewithal to defeat the DMK and dethrone it and that the time has come for installating a new government in Tamil Nadu and that it would be a people-centric NDA regime.

Casting the upcoming Assembly election as a clear political choice, he said the people of the State must decide between the DMK's dynastic politics and a development-oriented governance model aligned with the Centre.

He also framed the election as part of a broader national political contest, asserting that the NDA's momentum across India would extend to southern and eastern States, including Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Paying tributes to the State's civilisational heritage, saluting the Alwars, Nayanmars and Siddhars, invoking Shaivite traditions, he recalled Pudukkottai's place in the Chola empire and also paid homage to freedom fighter JC Kumarappa.

Terming the BJP-AIADMK partnership a "natural and winning alliance", Mr Shah underlined its electoral continuity, recalling that the two parties had contested together in 1998, 2019 and 2021 polls.

Even in 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when both the AIADMK and BJP went alone, the Union Home Minister claimed a combined vote share would have delivered victories in 26 seats and exuded confidence of expanding the NDA into a broader alliance in the State very soon.

Upping his ante against the DMK, Mr Amit Shah accused the government of heading one of the most corruption-ridden administrations in the country, citing multiple alleged scandals, including the cash-for-jobs scam, money-laundering allegations, and infrastructure-linked irregularities.

He also questioned the State's economic model, alleging that governance had become dependent on commissions, liquor revenues and mounting debt, while recalling the widespread protests by government employees, teachers, sanitation workers and the anganwadi staff that reflected administrative distress.

Whioe stoutly refuting the DMK's claims that the Centre was hostile to Tamil identity, the union Minister pointed to initiatives taken by Mr Modi, including civil services examinations in Tamil, Tamil announcements at railway stations, installation of the Sengol in Parliament, and higher central funding for Tamil Nadu.

Recalling the BJP coming to power in mong other states like Odisha, Haryana, Bihar and Delhi, he said the stage was now set for the saffron party's ascendency to power in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

''Every Tamil family today carried a burden of Rs.4.5 lakh debt because of DMK’s reckless governance and false promises'', he alleged.

He said development of the State is impossible with the corrupt Stalin Government at the helm in the State and said another leader was named in "coal scam", without taking any names.

Later, Mr Amit Shah left for Trichy by road where top leaders of AIADMK, sans its General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, who was pre-occupied with an election rally at his native Salem that prompted him to skip the Pudukottai event and reports that his event could not be deferred as it was already decided and all arrangements were made.

During the meeting, Mr Amit Shah and AIADMK leaders held wide-ranging discussions on the poll strategy, besides broadening the NDA by roping in like-minded parties including its former allies the PMK, now divided over a leadership row and has since vertically split, and the DMDK of late actor-politician Vijayakanth.