Amit Shah Targets Stalin, Says People Of Tamil Nadu Will Defeat DMK In 2026 Polls

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday declared that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is determined to bring an end to Chief Minister MK Stalin's tenure in Tamil Nadu, asserting that the party will come to power in the state in the upcoming assembly elections.

Speaking at a rally in Madurai, Shah confidently predicted a change of guard in Tamil Nadu, citing the BJP's recent successes in Odisha, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Delhi. He also targeted states like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, claiming that the BJP would emerge victorious there as well in the upcoming elections.

Taking a direct swipe at Chief Minister MK Stalin, Shah acknowledged Stalin's comment that "Amit Shah cannot defeat DMK." Agreeing with the sentiment in part, Shah said, "He is right. I cannot defeat the DMK, but the people of Tamil Nadu will. The BJP-AIADMK alliance government will be formed here in 2026. I may be in Delhi, but my ears are always tuned to Tamil Nadu."

Opening his speech, Shah apologized to party workers for not being able to speak in Tamil, calling it "one of the greatest languages of India."

"I apologise to my BJP workers in Tamil Nadu as I cannot communicate with them in Tamil, a truly remarkable language," he said.

Shah also reiterated his earlier demand that medical and engineering education in the state be made available in the Tamil language. Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's respect for Tamil culture, he noted the installation of the Sengol in Parliament and urged Stalin to write a letter of thanks to the PM.

#WATCH | Madurai, Tamil Nadu | Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "The NDA government of the BJP-AIADMK alliance will be formed here in 2026. I live in Delhi, but my ears are always on Tamil Nadu. MK Stalin says that Amit Shah cannot defeat DMK. He is right. Its not me, but the… pic.twitter.com/N2s7HMnByL

— ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2025

Turning up the heat on the ruling party, Shah accused the DMK government of massive corruption over its last four years in power. "The DMK has shattered all limits of corruption," he alleged. "They handed over the Rs 450 crore nutrition kit scheme provided by the Central government to a private company, depriving the needy of food."

Further, Shah accused the Stalin-led government of a sand mining scam worth Rs 4,600 crore, alleging that poor people were forced to purchase sand at higher prices so that the ruling party could profit.

BJP-AIADMK Alliance Returns

After a two-year break, the BJP and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) have reunited to contest the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections as allies.

In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the two parties had contested together under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) when Edappadi K. Palaniswami was the Chief Minister. However, the alliance lost to the DMK and its partners, managing to secure only 75 out of the 234 assembly seats. Of these, AIADMK won 66 seats while the BJP won just four.

Both parties went solo in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and failed to win any seats in Tamil Nadu. Despite the loss, the BJP saw a noticeable increase in vote share under the leadership of K Annamalai, indicating a growing base in the state.