At the 53rd founding day celebration of AIADMK held in Ambasamudram, Tirunelveli, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami took sharp jabs at the DMK government, stating that even coalition partners have begun questioning the current administration’s performance. He declared that the ruling DMK is witnessing a downfall.In his speech, Palaniswami reflected on the party’s history, comparing the challenges faced by AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) and former leader Jayalalithaa to those faced by the party today. He recounted the struggles of Jayalalithaa during her time as the leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, highlighting an incident where she was physically assaulted. “They threw books at her and pulled her hair,” he said, pointing out that AIADMK has always had to fight for its rights.
He criticized the behavior of DMK MLAs, mentioning, “DMK MLAs danced on the tables in the Assembly, including on my desk and that of Kadambur Raju.” He claimed that the DMK is now in disarray, trapped within the internal dynamics of Stalin’s family. “Udhayanidhi Stalin has risen to the position of Deputy Chief Minister merely because of family connections,” Palaniswami added, contrasting this with AIADMK, where even ordinary party workers can rise to leadership positions.
Referring to the AIADMK’s golden jubilee conference in Madurai, Palaniswami boasted that 1.5 million people attended the event without any disruptions, contrasting this with incidents involving DMK members who, according to him, resort to violence and refuse to pay for their meals after party meetings.
Palaniswami also spoke about AIADMK’s performance in the elections, noting a marginal improvement in vote share. “In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, AIADMK secured 19.30% of the vote. In the 2024 elections, despite a lack of a large coalition, our vote share increased by 2.5%,” he said. He highlighted DMK’s declining vote share, which dropped from 33.92% in 2019 to 26.52% in 2024, a loss of 7%.
He concluded by pointing out that DMK has failed to implement any major projects during their 40 months in power, while the state’s debt has increased by over ₹3 lakh crore. Palaniswami’s remarks suggest a growing confidence within AIADMK as they prepare for future elections, with claims of internal unity and increasing public dissatisfaction with the DMK government.