Udhayanidhi Stalin urges cadres to launch campaign for securing 200 seats in 2026 Assembly elections

Udhayanidhi Stalin urges DMK members to gear up for 2026 Tamil Nadu elections, aiming for 200 seats.

Deputy Chief Minister and DMK Youth Wing Secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin called upon party members to intensify preparations for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections,to achieve the aim of securing a minimum of 200 seats. Addressing a public gathering after the unveiling of a statue of former Chief Minister late M. Karunanidhi in Thuraiyur, he called upon cadres to replicate the DMK alliance’s previous electoral success.

“With just 15 months left for the Assembly elections, we must begin our campaign now to secure a similar landslide victory. Under Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s leadership, we achieved a 100% win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, securing all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. We must strive for the same level of success in 2026,” he said.

Mr.Udhayanidhi took a dig at AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami for criticising the DMK’s initiatives, including naming schemes after Kalaignar. He keeps asking why Udhayanidhi was given the Deputy Chief Minister post. I admit I lack certain qualifications Mr. Palaniswami has, such as bowing to others, Mr.Udhayanidhi quipped.

He also mocked AIADMK’s alliance negotiations, referring to recent comments by AIADMK treasurer Dindigul C. Sreenivasan that alliance partners demanded money and constituencies. “Has any political party stooped to such level?” he asked, contrasting it with the DMK-led alliance’s unity and success.

Mr. Udhayanidhi arrived at Tiruchi Airport on Saturday evening to attend events in Tiruchi, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, and Cuddalore districts. He was welcomed by DMK Principal Secretary and Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru, Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, and other leaders, including S. Regupathy, Govi. Chezhian, and Perambalur MP K.N. Arun Nehru.

In Thuraiyur, he inaugurated the Kalaignar Library and the Perambalur MP office. He also unveiled a life-size bronze statue of Kalaignar at the Thuraiyur bus stand. Thousands of DMK cadres enthusiastically gathered along the route to greet him, with receptions at various key locations.

After completing the events in Thuraiyur, Udhayanidhi proceeded to Velankanni in Nagapattinam district to continue his engagements.