AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami election campaign meeting at Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district on Thursday, April 16, 2026 | Photo Credit: Siva Saravanan S

Dismissing DMK’s claims about Lok Sabha constituency delimitation proposed by the Centre affecting Tamil Nadu, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday claimed that Chief Minister M K Stalin spreads misinformation about the bill.

“Stalin fears defeat in the April 9 Assembly polls and spreads misinformation about the constituency delimitation proposal”, he said during a poll rally in Coimbatore.

Stating that the central government has already assured Tamil Nadu won’t be affected, the leader of the opposition claimed that delimitation will be done fairly for all states. “He (Stalin) opposes 33 per cent reservation for women to prevent the central government from gaining credit”, he said.

Attacks on DMK, Congress over past policies

Responding to the former union finance minister, P Chidambaram, Palaniswami said, “he criticised my statements. What has he done for Tamil Nadu despite being a Union minister for years? Alleging that DMK MPs have failed to raise issues of the state in the parliament, he recalled,” AIADMK MPs once stalled parliament for 22 days for Cauvery water rights. Claiming that NEET was introduced by Congress and DMK, he said, “and now they oppose it. This is a double standard”.

Criticism of governance, law and order

Criticising Stalin for failing to fulfil election promises, Palaniswami claimed that during the DMK rule, prices of essential goods, electricity, and taxes have sharply increased, and law and order has deteriorated. “In addition to rising crime and drug issues, infrastructure and development projects have stalled, and government employees and the public have been misled”, he said.

Stating that Stalin talks about “Delhi vs Tamil Nadu,” while this is a state election, he asked, “Why do they bring Delhi here?” Palaniswami also said: “When the NDA alliance was formed, (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah clearly said AIADMK would lead, and Edappadi Palaniswami would be the chief minister candidate. So why talk about conflict with Delhi?”

Promises and development claims

Claiming that during the AIADMK regime, major projects like the Avinashi–Athikadavu scheme, drinking water schemes, metro plans, airport expansion, industrial parks, and more were implemented, he alleged that the DMK has stalled them. The AIADMK chief said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Coimbatore on April 18. “Listen to him. A strong India and prosperous Tamil Nadu will be created”, he claimed.

Palaniswami said that if AIADMK comes to power, Amma mini clinics and canteens will be reopened, and they will be under the chief minister’s supervision. “The law and order will be strengthened, infrastructure improved, job opportunities provided,” he added.

He also alleged that police have filed false cases against AIADMK members under pressure. “When we return to power, we will reopen them and take strict action against officials involved”, he said.

References to past events and women’s reservation bill

Later speaking at Siddhapudur, Avarampalayam in Coimbatore, Palaniswami said, “In 1998, when I was serving as a member of parliament, a bill was introduced for a 33 per cent reservation for women in both parliamentary and state legislative bodies”.

“At that time (during late J Jayalalithaa’s tenure), we were part of the ruling coalition government led by Vajpayee. When Thambidurai, then the Union law minister, began reading the bill, Mulayam Singh Yadav snatched it from his hands and tore it to shreds,” he said, adding, “Prime Minister Modi has now successfully enacted the very legislation that had been stalled back then”.

Fresh attack on Stalin over delimitation campaign

Chief Minister M K Stalin, who is deliberately spreading slanderous claims, is alleging that the number of seats will decrease due to delimitation. Palaniswami said, “Stalin called upon the public to hoist black flags outside their homes to oppose delimitation. Yet, not a single black flag was to be seen anywhere. This is because his assertions are entirely false. Stalin has been left unable to offer any substantive rebuttal”.

Further, he said, “We have formed an alliance with the BJP solely to oust an anti-people regime. Yet, Stalin immediately claims that we have joined forces with a communal party. The BJP governs the nation; indeed, Prime Minister Modi is the leader even for Stalin. Tamil Nadu is merely one state within India. Stalin is staging a drama, painting a communal hue over the situation, solely to garner votes. DMK itself allied with the BJP in 1999. Murasoli Maran served as a minister in Vajpayee’s cabinet”.

“You remained in an alliance with the BJP during the 2001 Assembly elections as well. Did you not realise back then that the BJP was a communal party?”

On alliances and political strategy

Stating that every party possesses its own distinct ideology, which is one thing, and a political alliance is another, Palaniswami said, “Do all the parties within the DMK alliance share a single, unified ideology?” The AIADMK leader said that his party joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with the specific objective of serving the public good and implementing numerous welfare schemes.

Published on April 16, 2026