DMK regime has lost popularity, AIADMK will win 210 seats in 2026, claims Palaniswami

Chennai, Dec 10 (PTI) Eyeing the Assembly election next year, the DMK regime has announced 10 lakh free laptops to college students amid the ruling party's dipping popularity and the AIADMK-led NDA will sweep the elections with 210 seats, party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami said here on Wednesday.

The MK Stalin-led dispensation has lost popularity, he said and reiterated that the ruling DMK has not fulfilled electoral assurances including scrapping NEET.

The leader of opposition welcomed the SIR exercise and demanded that a clean electoral roll bereft of irregularities be released and slammed the DMK for opposing it.

The DMK dismissed Palaniswami's "210 seats" assertion as a "pep talk," and "lie." Addressing the party's Executive Committee and General Council here, Palaniswami asked "Why should you give the free laptops now? Colleges had reopened five months ago." The DMK is no more popular among the public and it fears that it would "lose polls," and hence announced free laptops to 10 lakh students, he said.

Chief Minister Stalin is soon set to launch the distribution of the free laptops to college students and expand the Rs 1,000 per month Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam, an assistance to women beneficiaries.

Stalin has lost the popularity among the people and that is why he has announced that this government will distribute free laptops to students.

"During the AIADMK rule, 52 lakh laptops were provided to the students. We have been pressurizing the government to give free laptops to the students," Palaniswami said.

Claiming that the AIADMK provided a golden rule, he said: "The AIADMK-led alliance will win 210 seats." The party is heading the NDA in Tamil Nadu and the Assembly election to 234 seats in the state is due by April-May 2026.

The AIADMK meeting, which vowed to work to make Palaniswami the chief minister again, was held against the background of the recent expulsion of veteran leader KA Sengottaiyan, who has joined actor Vijay-led TVK. Also, expelled leader O Panneerselvam continues to pitch for "unifying" the AIADMK.

Pannerselvam told reporters in Theni that those who wish well for Tamil Nadu want those who had parted ways to come together.

The AIADMK meet condoled the 27 September Karur stampede deaths at a TVK rally addressed by Vijay.

Avoiding specifying the Karthigai deepam row in Madurai's Thirupparankundram, the AIADMK meet condemned what it called the ruling DMK's "domineering attitude" for "challenging the judiciary." It also slammed the ruling party for "affixing sticker" to its Rs 1,621 crore bridge project in Coimbatore.

The AIADMK slammed the DMK regime over law and order issues, corruption allegations and rejected it as a "failure model." The party made it clear that it helms the alliance and authorised Palaniswami to take decisions on accommodating new parties.

The general council endorsed the decision to join hands with the BJP.

Palaniswami alleged the DMK did not even fulfill the promises it had made ahead of the 2021 Assembly election and it includes waiving educational loans. DMK made 535 announcements in its manifesto, he said and listed unfulfilled assurances including Rs 100 subsidy for cooking gas cylinder and scrapping NEET.

Also, the ex-chief minister reiterated his party's allegation that welfare projects launched during the AIADMK rule, like the "Thalikku Thangam Thittam," (gold for marriage scheme) had been discontinued. "This is the achievement of DMK government," he said.

Stalin often says the DMK regime provides Rs 1,000 per month assistance to women. However, it was done only due to the pressure exerted by the AIADMK, Palaniswami claimed.

"The Stalin government, by relaxing the rules, has planned to expand further the Rs 1,000 per month financial assistance and cover 30 lakh more women beneficiaries." This is not to address the difficulties faced by the women beneficiaries, but only in view of the forthcoming election, he alleged.

"People will accept the amount given by the DMK. But they will vote only for the AIADMK-led alliance", he expressed confidence.

On the Special Intensive Revision exercise, he asked, "What is the wrong in removing duplication. But, Stalin is opposing it." Under the SIR exercise, in each of the constituency in Greater Chennai area, about 50,000 to 70,000 voters may have to be deleted from rolls in view of reasons like death and migration. If that is the situation in a particular region, across Tamil Nadu, under the SIR exercise, 10,000-30,000 votes per constituency need to be removed as it belong to people who had either passed away or have migrated, he said.

The ruling party had planned to win next year's election through "fake votes," and hence the DMK is panicky about the whole SIR exercise as it would eliminate "fake votes." Senior leaders KP Munusamy, Dindigul Srinivasan, Natham R Viswanathan, SP Velumani, P Thangamani, B Valarmathi, S Semmalai, R B Udhayakumar, SS Vaigaiselvan, P Benjamin, CVe Shanmugam, D Jayakumar took part.

Reacting to the meet, DMK leader S Regupathy mocked at Palaniswami for the "we will win 210 seats" remark and dismissed it as a "pep talk, a plain lie," to boost the morale of AIADMK workers.

The DMK reiterated its allegation that Palaniswami mortgaged AIADMK with BJP leader Amit Shah and claimed that people will reject it in 2026 polls too. PTI VIJ VGN VIJ SA VGN