Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026 | Law and order deteriorating under DMK rule, claims Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu

Chennai: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday alleged that the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu is deteriorating under the DMK rule.

Addressing a press conference here, Naidu asked Tamil Nadu people to be wise and not to miss the opportunity of voting for NDA candidates and electing a "double engine" government that travels with "bullet speed".

Political apprehension cannot be a reason for opposing a Bill introduced to facilitate the women's reservation, he further said, pointing at DMK and Congress.

"Now, finally, I am telling you, law and order is deteriorating in Tamil Nadu. The city's infrastructure, civic infrastructure, is not up to the mark. Same old roads, no improvement," Naidu alleged.

He further alleged that Chennai will have a submergence problem if it rains heavily.

Naidu claimed that crime against women increased by 59 per cent, and 32 custodial deaths occurred in the state, and there were also issues with spurious liquor.

Showering praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the TDP supremo said Ganga-Cauvery river linking would only be possible by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Whether "anyone" likes it or not, PM Modi will be there for the next two elections, he further said.

Requesting the electors to vote for NDA candidates in the upcoming Assembly polls, Naidu said, "If you want the next level of development and prosperity, you have to vote for (NDA), otherwise you will lose five years. And also, I am telling you, south, north-all these things we are talking about unnecessarily. We are all one."

He said every state has to compete with the other state; despite different mother tongues, the nation is one.

Replying to a query on imposing Hindi on southern states, the Andhra CM said the central government has not made Hindi the national language and asked why one should not learn Hindi.

Without giving a direct reply on actor-turned politician, TVK chief Vijay's impact in the Assembly polls, Naidu said, there are no leaders in present-day politics comparable to iconic actor-turned leaders, MGR or NTR, who went on to become chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, respectively.

He also said, "Now, I don't want to comment on anything".

He recalled his association with Tamil Nadu, saying he got married in Chennai.

On Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin's comments that the southern state defeated Delhi by not supporting the delimitation bill that sought to facilitate women's reservation by expanding the Lok Sabha, Naidu said: "I can't understand the logic".

He said the NDA government at the Centre offered a formula wherein Lok Sabha seats in every state will increase by 50 per cent, irrespective of size and population. However, the DMK and Congress, which opposed it, should be answerable to the people.

Later, Naidu concluded his two-day visit to Tamil Nadu.

He toured Coimbatore, Krishnagiri, Viridhunagar, Madurai and Chennai on April 20 and 21.

"Naidu's two-day election campaign across Tamil Nadu in support of NDA received good response...the chief minister addressed public meetings, participated in roadshows, interacted with local leaders and prominent personalities from various sectors to mobilise support for NDA candidates," an official release said.

He focused on key issues such as Tamil Nadu's development, corruption and deterioration of law and order, it said.

Emphasising the need for an NDA government in Tamil Nadu, he said such a "double-engine" government model has accelerated development in Andhra Pradesh and called for the same in Tamil Nadu.

Mentioning major investments attracted by Andhra Pradesh such as Google and Arcelor Mittal, he said strong support from the Central government made these possible.

Tamil Nadu's revival and progress can only be achieved by NDA governance, he claimed.

Referring to inter-state river water disputes, Naidu proposed interlinking of rivers as a permanent solution, observing that Ganga-Cauvery interlinking would be a transformative initiative.

He urged Tamil Nadu people to support NDA for such projects.

He also recalled the Telugu Ganga project, which supplies drinking water to Chennai, highlighting the spirit of cooperation between the two states.

Calling for unity, Naidu urged people of both Telugu and Tamil communities to work together for mutual development.