Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026 | Poll to drive out Palaniswami, to prove Tamil Nadu will not fall for BJP: Udhayanidhi

Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu): DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin kickstarted his Assembly poll campaign here on Monday and asserted that the election is a battle to drive out AIADMK chief Palaniswami.

The poll was about not allowing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he said.

Launching his campaign here in the native town of DMK founder leader CN Annadurai (1909-1969), Udhayanidhi, addressing a massive rally, recalled his father and party chief MK Stalin's statement that the ensuing poll was a fight between TN and Delhi and asserted that the BJP must not be allowed.

Alleging that the AIADMK chief Palaniswami is PM Modi's "slave", Udhayanidhi claimed that the Leader of Opposition's "ideological mentors are PM Modi and Amit Shah".

Hence, the Assembly election is all about "driving out" AIADMK chief Palaniswami, Can we allow PM Modi, Amit Shah in Tamil Nadu?" he asked, adding people would not allow it.

Further, he said: "In this election, we must prove that Tamil Nadu is always out of Delhi's control. Tamil Nadu must completely sideline BJP, which is betraying the state; this must be done." He listed out the DMK regime's welfare schemes, including CM's Breakfast Scheme and fare-free bus travel scheme for women.

He listed out infra schemes implemented for Kanchipuram and appealed to people to support DMK's 'Rising Sun' symbol.

Udhayanidhi visited Anna's memorial and paid floral tributes to the party icon before launching his campaign.

He said while he started the campaign from Kanchipuram, CM Stalin is set to launch the campaign from Tiruvarur on Tuesday, the home town of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi.

However, Palaniswami started his campaign from Mylapore, a constituency in Chennai allotted to the BJP.