The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance is a unique coalition that has stayed intact through the 2019 Parliament election, the 2021 Assembly election, the 2024 Parliament election, and many byelections and local body elections in between. While the alliance has operated smoothly, both in seat-sharing and campaigning, this time it is different. Allies have spoken of disappointment and regret. Seat-sharing talks were long-drawn; some Congress members rebelled in public. There are reports that you had to intervene personally to resolve some issues. What do you think are the reasons behind this shift in the alliance dynamics?

The Secular Progressive Alliance [SPA] led by us is a coalition united to protect the rights of Tamil Nadu and its democracy. Since the welfare of Tamil Nadu is our collective goal, we have engaged in free exchanges of ideas and reached smooth agreements—resulting in an already strong alliance becoming even more powerful with the arrival of new parties as we stand in the electoral field.

Our singular goal is to win the election with the people’s support and establish a Dravidian Model 2.0 government that restores the rights of Tamil Nadu; we are journeying towards that objective. The opposition parties, who were longing for a rift among us, are now disappointed and babbling in frustration. We are working on our election tasks with great enthusiasm.

You have given the new entrant Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) a significant share of seats. This has caused unease among allies such as the Left parties, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi , and so on. Is there a compelling reason why you took in the DMDK and why you gave it 10 Assembly seats (plus one Rajya Sabha seat), especially given its poor performance and reduced importance in recent times?

The achievements of the Dravidian Model government and the good governance I have provided as Chief Minister have collectively laid a magnificent foundation for the victory of the SPA. Consequently, new parties like the DMDK, which care for the welfare of Tamil Nadu, have joined our coalition.

Within our alliance, everyone treats each other as brothers and sisters; there is no room for jealousy. The only “competition” among the parties of the alliance is the race to secure a complete victory in every contested constituency.

Seeing our strength—and witnessing our alliance leaders and grassroots workers charging into the field at jet speed with the sole aim of victory—it is the opposition parties who are in a state of panic. There is absolutely no confusion within our ranks.

O. Panneerselvam, Manoj Pandian, and Vaithilingam, all expelled from the AIADMK, have been given seats and permitted to contest using the Rising Sun symbol. What is the strategy behind this and how will it benefit the alliance?

They have integrated with the DMK and are contesting under the Rising Sun symbol. After all, members of the DMK can only contest under the DMK symbol!

Is this election really going to be decided by the women vote and youth vote, as the analysts are saying? If yes, how will the DMK’s vote share be impacted?

The five-year Dravidian Model government’s record-breaking programmes have garnered support from all walks of life. For example, Rs.1,000 per month for 1.31 crore women heads of households; the Vidiyal Payanam (free bus travel) for women; and the Breakfast Scheme have received overwhelming response from women. We are also providing Rs.1,000 per month to students pursuing higher education through the Pudhumai Penn and Tamil Pudhalvan schemes. Further, we are providing skill training through the Naan Mudhalvan scheme to ensure that educated youth secure good jobs. By providing free laptops to 20 lakh college students, we continue to stand as a pillar of support for the advancement of youth.

In the upcoming Dravidian Model 2.0 government, we will provide “Illatharasi” (Homemaker) coupons worth Rs.8,000 to help women purchase household appliances of their choice. Similarly, we intend to increase the amount under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam [KMUT] to Rs.2,000. By putting their welfare at the forefront, we have gained the unwavering support of women.

Consequently, the DMK’s vote bank has expanded compared to the past. There is a wave of support for the Dravidian Model government to return. Therefore, we will secure more than 50 per cent of the votes and win in over 200 constituencies.

You have called this an ideological battle between secularism and communalism, and the election as a struggle to protect Tamil Nadu from majoritarian forces. Given how rapidly Hindutva has spread across the country, how much longer can Tamil Nadu alone remain immune? What makes you confident that Hindu majoritarian sentiment and communalism will not spread here also?

I say it with certainty because of my unshakable faith in the people of Tamil Nadu: communal, divisive forces can never capture Tamil Nadu.

That is why I call this election a battle between the “Tamil Nadu Team” and the “Delhi Team”. We stand with the people of Tamil Nadu to protect the rights and welfare of the State against the Delhi team that is working against our interests.

In this election, the Tamil Nadu Team led by the DMK, which defends social harmony, social justice, brotherhood, and Tamil Nadu’s welfare, will defeat the authoritarian Delhi Team.

Tamil Nadu has been clashing regularly with the Centre, especially with the office of the Governor. Your government recently released a report on Centre-State relations, which calls for reimagining the Governor’s role. Although Indira Gandhi began the trend of misusing the Governor’s office, do you think the BJP has taken it to an extreme? Do you believe the Governor’s office is redundant in a truly federal nation?

Generally speaking, the BJP does not like the Constitution. That is why they have no regard for the institutions established under it. The BJP is the only party that has not only politicised but also “saffronised” constitutional posts.

In the same vein, the BJP government at the Centre has turned the office of the Governor into a BJP party position, to an extent never seen before. Governors have abandoned their loyalty to the Constitution and are behaving as if they have officially joined the BJP. They have essentially turned into propaganda secretaries for the party.

Therefore, our stance remains that of the great scholar Anna [C.N. Annadurai], who famously said: “A beard for a goat and a Governor for a State are both unnecessary.” There is no change in our position on this, ever.

You frequently raise another issue about federalism: Centre-State fiscal relations. Tamil Nadu has accused the Centre of withholding rightful dues. How has this impacted your development expenditure? Going forward, how will your government manage to meet the additional expenses that will come up because of the various schemes you have announced, such as KMUT, Illatharasi Coupon Scheme etc.

Misinformation is constantly being spread claiming that welfare schemes for the people will harm the country’s economy. Why is it that no one worries about the state of the economy when the Union government waives off lakhs of crores in debt for massive corporations? Some people have made it a habit to distort and divert the conversation regarding public welfare schemes.

Welfare schemes are an investment made by the government in its people. They elevate the economy and social status; they do not bring it down. The Union government has significantly reduced Tamil Nadu’s share of taxes and has deliberately increased the State’s financial burden by withholding funds even for basic initiatives like development projects, education, the 100-day employment scheme (MGNREGA), and drinking water projects.

We oppose this injustice. Despite the refusal of the Union BJP government to allocate funds, we have boosted Tamil Nadu’s industrial growth and achieved a double-digit economic growth rate of 11.19 per cent.

We are working toward the goal of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Therefore, there will be no disruption or financial crisis in implementing welfare schemes for the people. After all, the very definition of good governance is utilising people’s taxes for people’s welfare.

Tamil Nadu is often held up as a model State for social welfare. Yet, there are serious gaps such as continuing violence against Dalits and police brutality. Crimes against women are rising. If you return to power, how do you plan to tackle these issues?

To claim that crime is increasing in Tamil Nadu is misinformation. Compared to the past, we have created an environment that is significantly safer for women. While we focus on preventing crimes on the one hand, we have also toughened punishment, raising it to include the death penalty. Tamil Nadu leads among States that are safe for women.

In reality, it is the NDA [National Democratic Alliance]-governed States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar that have the highest rates of crimes against women. You would have heard the Supreme Court’s recent condemnation of the Uttar Pradesh government regarding the case of a minor girl who was sexually harassed and murdered. The entire country knows the atrocities committed against women in BJP-ruled Manipur. Even in Odisha, since the BJP formed government there after 24 years, religious violence—which was non-existent for decades—has increased manifold.

The reality is that peace does not exist where the NDA is in power. We have thwarted the conspiracies of the communal forces that tried to disrupt the peace of Tamil Nadu and have maintained stability. The headline for all of India is this: Tamil Nadu stands as a State with far superior law and order compared to BJP-ruled States.

There is some talk of you assuming a national role in the INDIA bloc. In that context, what according to you is the greatest danger today to the idea of democracy as it was envisioned after Independence? How do you think the country can go back to those early principles?

The very foundation of democracy is now under question. From the rights of States to individual liberties, we are facing numerous crises today. Efforts are underway to destroy India’s diversity and establish a single dictatorial rule through slogans like “One Nation, One Language”, “One Nation, One Religion”, “One Nation, One Culture”, and “One Nation, One Election”.

Under BJP rule, parliamentary democracy is being toyed with. The nation’s vital constitutional institutions, which are supposed to protect the rights granted by the Constitution, have been turned into mere puppets of the Union BJP government. Furthermore, a grave danger in the name of Delimitation (constituency restructuring) threatens Tamil Nadu—and all the southern States in particular.

That is why we are guarding ourselves to ensure that Delhi’s dictatorship does not enter Tamil Nadu. To save democracy, the only solution is to defeat fascism. Democracy—and the right to vote within that democracy—is incredibly powerful. Tamil Nadu, with its unshakable faith in the immense strength of democracy and the ballot, will prevail. India will defeat those who seek to walk the path of dictatorship.