Governor vs CM: Stalin’s gambit to win big in 2026 Tamil Nadu polls

On January 6, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi stormed out of the Assembly, accusing Chief Minister M K Stalin of insulting the National Anthem and deepening an already bitter feud with the DMK dispensation. What followed was a political spectacle—boycotts, court battles, and an escalating war of words. 

Stalin, seizing the moment, has made the governor a prime election issue, sharpening his Tamil Nadu vs Delhi narrative ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. 

Ravi, meanwhile, isn’t backing down, launching direct attacks on the government. In this high-stakes showdown, governance takes a backseat as politics plays out like a scripted drama—provocations, power struggles, and calculated moves.

The feud, marked by mutual accusations of “disrespecting” the Constitution, continues to dominate political discourse three weeks after Ravi’s dramatic exit from the House. While tensions between the state government and Raj Bhavan have simmered since Ravi assumed office in September 2021, this standoff is the most intense.

In a marked shift from his past courtesies, Stalin, his cabinet colleagues, and alliance partners boycotted the governor’s Republic Day ‘At Home’ reception. The move signals Stalin’s intent to make Ravi a central political issue as the DMK gears up for the crucial 2026 Assembly elections, which are expected to see at least five political fronts vying for power.

One of the biggest casualties of this standoff has been higher education. At least six State-funded universities have remained headless for over a year due to a dispute over the composition of the search committee for appointing vice chancellors. The governor insists that the panel must have four members, including a representative from the University Grants Commission (UGC), while the state government maintains that three are sufficient. 

The deadlock has now reached the Supreme Court—the third time since 2023 that Tamil Nadu has taken the governor to court, previously over stalled bills and the swearing-in of an MLA whose conviction in a corruption case had been stayed.

At the heart of the current confrontation is Ravi’s insistence on playing the National Anthem at both the beginning and end of his address to the Assembly—a break from Tamil Nadu’s decades-old tradition of opening with Tamil Thai Vazhthu (the state anthem) and concluding with the National Anthem.

The DMK sees this as part of a larger ideological battle and plans to escalate the issue in Parliament, demanding formal conduct rules for governors and a fixed timeframe for them to act on bills sent for approval. 

The war of words between the two sides has only intensified. Stalin accused Ravi of “deliberately violating” the Constitution and termed his justification for skipping the address “absurd.” In response, the governor’s office hit back, calling the chief minister’s stance “arrogant.”

Ravi’s speeches have also become increasingly political, often veering into direct or indirect criticism of the DMK government. He recently stirred controversy by stating that he envisions a day when Tamil Nadu will have a Dalit chief minister, citing an “increase” in atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs). He also used his Republic Day address—typically a ceremonial occasion—to launch a pointed critique of the DMK government, claiming Tamil Nadu was on a “declining curve” and that key development indicators were in a “worrisome state.”

Senior journalist R Bhagwan Singh said Ravi’s remark about a Dalit chief minister was a clear attempt to “further heat up” demands within the community—including from DMK ally VCK—for greater political representation.

“This is nothing short of playing politics. His statements lend further credence to the criticism that the governor is merely an executioner of orders from the BJP high command,” Singh told DH.

Stalin, meanwhile, is framing the conflict as a battle for federalism—a theme that has long resonated with voters in the state. 

Unlike past DMK strategies that directly targeted the BJP, he is now using the governor as a proxy. In a striking move, he even requested the Union government not to transfer Ravi, viewing him as an effective foil to expose the BJP and push for greater state autonomy.

Political commentator Maalan Narayanan believes the DMK’s attacks on the governor will only grow louder as the election approaches.

“Stalin has already begun deploying one of his final weapons—blaming the central government for withholding funds and treating opposition-ruled states unfairly. The governor, as the Centre’s face in the state, has naturally become the DMK’s election issue,” Narayanan said.

Ravi, for his part, has not held back, continuing to criticise the DMK while making statements seen as deliberate provocations.

The shift in the DMK’s approach is evident. On Republic Day morning, Stalin appeared on stage alongside the governor at an official event but pointedly skipped the reception hosted by Raj Bhavan that evening.

“This is a calibrated strategy,” Narayanan said. “The DMK is making it clear that while it will follow official protocol, it will no longer extend courtesies to the governor.” Both Narayanan and Singh argue that Stalin is using the governor to deflect criticism from opposition parties over his government’s handling of fiscal issues and governance.

“For the common man, however, the result of this prolonged standoff is an unwelcome diversion from more pressing concerns in the state,” Singh said.