Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK Chief MK Stalin hit the streets of Tiruchirappalli on Wednesday in an attempt to take his election campaign to the people, as the battle for the 2026 assembly elections reaches a crucial juncture. In this regard, Stalin went to Gandhi Nagar Market to campaign for Inigo Irudaya Raj in Tiruchirappalli East and then proceeded to Palakkarai. In a classic campaign move, he stopped for a quick tea at a local stall to chat with residents, later moving on to Bheema Nagar to rally behind senior leader KN Nehru for the Tiruchirappalli West seat.
This whirlwind tour follows the official campaign launch on March 31 in Thiruvarur, the ancestral home of the late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi. Speaking to a packed crowd in his father’s heartland, Stalin struck a sentimental chord, describing Thiruvarur as the ideological cradle of the party. He confidently touted the DMK’s "superstar manifesto" and challenged the crowd to confirm a clean sweep for the alliance. "I am a son of the soil, of Kalaignar," he told the gathering, framing the upcoming vote as a decisive journey to retain power in the state.
The Chief Minister’s stump speech highlighted key alliance candidates, including Poondi Kalaivanan in Thiruvarur and TRB Rajaa in Mannargudi, whom he praised for driving the state's industrial growth. He also made a strong pitch for the alliance’s diverse front, backing CPI’s K Marimuthu in Thiruthuraipoondi and Mohammad Mubarak in Nannilam. Stalin revealed that he had already assured his coalition partners of a comprehensive victory before even setting foot in Thiruvarur, a sentiment echoed by his son, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who held his own high-decibel rallies in Dharmapuri on Tuesday.
With the 234-member Assembly set to go to the polls on April 23, the DMK’s top brass is clearly leaving nothing to chance. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4, but for Stalin, the work on the ground has already reached a fever pitch as he seeks to translate his father’s legacy into a fresh mandate.
Also read: Stalin files nomination from Kolathur
Follow us
