'Version 2.0 loading', says Stalin on DMK's 2026 electoral prospects

The state has achieved great heights under the party-led government and Tamil Nadu was 'No.1' in 2024-25 with 9.69 per cent growth rate, Stalin, the DMK president, said.

Chennai: Exuding confidence about his DMK retaining power in next year's Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday said "Version 2.0 loading in 2026." Wrapping up the debate in the Assembly on his Home portfolio, the CM listed out the various achievements of the 4-year-old DMK government.

The state achieved great heights under the party-led government and Tamil Nadu was "No.1" in 2024-25 with 9.69 per cent growth rate, Stalin, the DMK president, said. This was higher than the nation's economic growth of 6.5 percent.

Tamil Nadu's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) was Rs 17.23 lakh crore, the highest among the Indian states and the per capita income in the state was Rs 3.58 lakh in 2024-25, while the national per capita income was only Rs 2.6 lakh.

Electronic goods exports accounted for 14.65 million USD and this was nearly 41.23 percent share in the country. Last year, the state mopped up Rs 5.80 lakh crore through commercial tax, Stalin said.

Such a growth rate was unprecedented, he indicated and said central statistics have also validated this. He listed out achievements including "no dropout" in middle schools, poverty eradication efforts, and strides in higher education.

Further, law and order was maintained well "although some yearn," it gets affected, the CM said.

Had former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi (his father) been alive he would have boasted saying that Stalin was the epitome of achievements, the CM said recalling his father once stating that Stalin was synonymous with hard work.

"This is no mean feat. A hard-earned achievement that Tamil Nadu has never seen before... All these achievements were accomplished in a situation surrounded by snakes above, foxes below, a moat if jumped, and a solid wall (obstructing the escape route)," the Chief Minister said.

Despite all the hurdles posed by the Union Government on one side, the Governor on the other side, and beset with financial crisis, his government overcame the obstacles to set a record, he said and added that the credit also went to his Cabinet, officers, and staff, who coordinated with him.

He pointed out that the previous era was known by their leaders like Kamaraj rule, Anna (C N Annadurai), Kalaignar (M Karunanidhi) and MGR (M G Ramachandran) rule. He did not prefer to call his regime after his name but addressed it as Dravidian model government.

"It's not the rule of one man. I call it Dravidian model government symbolic of the principle-based rule," he emphasised.

The reason for the peace prevailing in Tamil Nadu was due to the police who ensured the law and order was stable. To those faulting the current law and order situation in Tamil Nadu with an ulterior motive, he would say that Tamil Nadu was neither Manipur nor Kashmir or Uttar Pradesh.

He announced that the efforts to modernise the police force would continue. A modern network of crime and criminal detection system would be restructured to facilitate the public to file complaints online.

A committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of a retired High Court judge to offer solutions in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling in 2019 regarding the seniority list of government employees.

The Chief Minister announced that the word 'colony' would be dropped as it was a derogatory term to refer to the original inhabitants of the land. "It is a symbol of dominance and untouchability. Hence, the word will be removed from official documents and public practice," Stalin who made 102 announcements on the occasion, informed.

He urged Speaker M Appavu to consider the rest of the announcements as read by him and entered in the Assembly records.

He exuded confidence that the TN voters would give thumbs-up for the DMK owing to the implementation of various welfare schemes and projects.

The DMK rule is going to step into its fifth year in May and he was confident that the next government will also be led by the Dravidian party, thanks to the various schemes and achievements, he added.

As a parting shot, the Chief Minister remarked, "So far what has been witnessed is only Dravidian model government Part I. Version 2.0 Loading in 2026. We will create more records after that."

Stalin's oft-repeated "Dravidian model" refers to the party's inclusive development-oriented governance.

AIADMK general secretary and Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, mocked the Chief Minister's "Version 2.0 loading" remark, questioning him on a number of issues, including women's safety and said the DMK will be shown the door in the hustings next year.

In the elections next year, people will say "Bye Bye Stalin," Palaniswami said in a post on 'X.' "There is only one version in 2026--that is the #TN_AIADMK version," the former CM said.