BJP for ‘puppet CM’ in TN; INDIA will reject ‘remote-control politics’: Rahul Gandhi

Emboldened by the defeat of the contentious delimitation bill, projected by the ruling party BJP as the women’s reservation measure in Parliament, the Congress has launched a sharp political offensive against the BJP and its allies ahead of the Tamil Nadu assembly polls.

Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, addressing a rally in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari, alleged that the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leadership had “surrendered” to the Bharatiya Janata Party due to “corruption”, and was now acting as a conduit for the BJP’s entry into the state.

Speaking at an election rally, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, “which hates Dravidian ideology”, aims to politically dominate Tamil Nadu.

He stressed the importance of federalism, asserting that every state must retain its voice and autonomy.

“People of each state should run their state. But the BJP does not think like this — it believes in one tradition, one language, and one history,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi added that Tamil Nadu should be governed by its own people, in line with the principles of decentralised governance.

In a sharp escalation of his attack, Rahul Gandhi alleged that former US President Donald Trump had sought to influence Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, he claimed, attempted to exert control over Tamil Nadu through AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami.

He reiterated that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-Congress alliance remains committed to safeguarding Tamil language, culture and history, framing the upcoming election as a battle to protect the state’s identity and dignity.

The Congress had released its manifesto for the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections, focusing on public safety, infrastructure and economic welfare. Key promises include the creation of 40,000 police jobs among them 10,000 women commandos a unified “Dial 100” emergency service, a “Rabies-Free Tamil Nadu” target by 2030, and the promotion of statewide spiritual tourism.

Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Tamil Nadu on 23 April 2026 to elect all 234 members. The votes will be counted, and the results will be declared on 4 May 2026.