Addressing party workers during an event in Chennai on Sunday that marked the induction of a large number of former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) members, including former AIADMK minister Benjamin, Stalin urged the party to remain prepared for any political development. He said elections could take place at any time, including within three months or six months.
Highlighting the numerical position of the ruling party in the Assembly, Stalin said the TVK secured only 108 seats, falling short of the majority mark of 118 required to form a stable government independently.
"Let us look at the reality. The present ruling party did not win a majority to form a stable government on its own strength," Stalin said.
He alleged that the government continued in office only because of the support extended by parties that had previously contested the April 23 Assembly election as constituents of the DMK-led alliance.
"The government runs only with the support of those whom the people voted for with the expectation that the DMK would form the government. It is only because of the tactical alignment and support of certain parties that were until recently part of our progressive alliance that this TVK vehicle is managing to move at all," he said.
Describing the arrangement as unstable, Stalin said the government could collapse unexpectedly.
"This is a shaky setup. We do not know at which junction or turning this vehicle is going to lose its balance and come to a sudden halt. Therefore, I am telling you, elections can come at any time. It could happen in three months, or it could happen in six months. We cannot afford to wait for a five-year cycle," he said.
Stalin called upon party workers to immediately switch to election mode, stressing that preparations should begin without waiting for the announcement of poll dates.
"We must be 100 per cent prepared for any political eventuality. We cannot start preparing after the election dates are announced. Let this mega induction event serve as the moment we take a solemn pledge to begin our field work for the DMK's thumping return to power, starting this very minute," he said.
Following its failure to secure a simple majority, the TVK formed the government with the support of the Indian National Congress, Left parties, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). These parties had contested the April 23 election as allies of the DMK before ending their alliance and extending support to Vijay.
Launching a broader attack on the state administration, Stalin alleged that Tamil Nadu had moved away from its development trajectory during the past month. He claimed that investors were shifting their investments to neighbouring states and further alleged a deterioration in law and order.
According to Stalin, the state had witnessed an increase in crimes against women, narcotics-related offences, robberies, violent attacks, petrol bomb incidents and power outages under the present administration.
On the same day, Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin also criticised the TVK-led government, claiming that the people of Tamil Nadu were now searching for the governance they once experienced.
"Once, Tamil Nadu had governance. Today, the people of the state have begun searching for where it has gone," Udhayanidhi Stalin said while addressing a wedding function in Pudukkottai.
He accused the ruling government of repeatedly conducting searches against the DMK while welcoming what he described as "corrupt forces", alleging that they became "pure forces" after joining the ruling party.
Udhayanidhi further alleged that Chief Minister Vijay was more concerned about camera angles and positioning inside the Assembly than governance, accusing him of staging a daily performance.
"It makes us wonder whether this is an Assembly, a cinema theatre, or a shooting location," he said.
Addressing another wedding function in the Orathanadu area of Thanjavur district, Udhayanidhi alleged that ordinary citizens were facing growing hardships under the current administration. He claimed that people were struggling with shortages of electricity and water while questioning what he described as the deterioration in law and order across the state.
He also said that welfare programmes introduced during the previous DMK administration, including the Kalaignar Women's Entitlement Scheme and the Innovative Women Scheme, continued to enjoy widespread public support. He alleged that the present government was facing difficulties because it had been unable to discontinue these welfare initiatives.
The statements by M.K. Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin mark an escalation in the political confrontation between the DMK and the ruling TVK government, with the opposition alleging administrative failures, instability and deteriorating governance while calling on party workers to prepare immediately for the possibility of an early Assembly election.
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