Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned up the heat on the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam during a massive rally in Maduranthakam on Friday, effectively launching the NDA’s campaign for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. In a scathing attack, Modi rebranded the DMK as the "CMC" government — standing for "Corruption, Mafia, and Crime" — and told a cheering crowd that the countdown to the party's exit from power has officially begun.
The Prime Minister didn't hold back on the issue of dynastic politics, claiming the DMK has abandoned democratic values to serve a single family. He took a thinly veiled swipe at Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, suggesting that the only ways to rise within the party are through lineage, corruption, or by insulting the state's culture. He framed the election as a choice between "votebank politics" and a "double-engine government" that would bring Tamil Nadu closer to the Centre’s developmental goals.
Addressing the state's social fabric, Modi alleged that while the National Democratic Alliance has tripled the financial allocation for Tamil Nadu compared to the previous Congress-DMK era, the current state government has mismanaged funds meant for SC/ST welfare. He also touched on a particularly sensitive local issue, accusing the DMK of being hand-in-glove with drug and liquor mafias, and promised that an NDA victory would be a vote to "free the state from the drug menace."
The Prime Minister also invoked the legacy of the late AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, praising her record on law and order while claiming that women in the state now feel unsafe under Stalin’s leadership. He even brought up the "Deepam row," accusing the government of prioritising politics over the religious sentiments of devotees during the Karthigai Deepam festival.
By the end of the rally, the message was clear: the BJP and its allies intend to make corruption, public safety, and cultural identity their main battlegrounds. With the AIADMK’s Edappadi K Palaniswami sharing the platform, the rally served as a major show of unity for the opposition as they prepare for a high-decibel showdown this May.
Also read: TN ready to bid farewell to ‘corrupt’ DMK govt: PM Modi
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