CHENNAI, April 11: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has expressed confidence that the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) will win over 200 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled for April 23.
In an interview, he also launched a strong attack on the BJP and AIADMK, accusing the saffron party of misusing central agencies and using the women’s reservation issue as a “weapon” against the opposition.
Stalin said the Union government is not genuinely interested in implementing women’s reservation and is instead linking it to delimitation to disadvantage opposition-ruled states.
He demanded immediate implementation of the quota without such conditions, warning that population-based delimitation would harm Tamil Nadu, which has successfully controlled population growth.
He also dismissed allegations by AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami regarding a “power centre” in his family, calling them baseless attempts to divert attention from governance achievements.
Stalin further accused the AIADMK of lacking ideology and being aligned with the BJP.
On law and order, he defended his government, citing schemes for women’s safety, including the Rs 1,000 monthly women’s rights scheme and hostel facilities for working women.
He said Tamil Nadu has become the safest state for women and highlighted strict action against crimes under DMK rule.
Stalin also criticised the Enforcement Directorate, calling its cases on TASMAC and sand mining “BJP-scripted dramas”.
He reaffirmed the strength of the DMK-led alliance, which includes Congress and Left parties, and expressed confidence of a strong victory not only in Tamil Nadu but also in Puducherry.
Highlighting welfare initiatives, he said the women’s monthly assistance scheme and the Chief Minister’s breakfast programme are among his most impactful policies.
He added that the government plans to expand both schemes and increase financial assistance to women in the next term, calling them landmark achievements of his administration. (PTI)
