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Chennai: In a sharp escalation of political rhetoric ahead of the state assembly elections, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin issued a direct challenge to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday. He declared that the ruling party's (DMK) "black and red army" would deliver a decisive rebuff at every polling booth to what he termed Delhi's "arrogant" overreach.
With only about four months remaining until the polls—expected to be announced by late February or early March—Stalin's remarks came during the launch of an intensive new grassroots campaign, "My Polling Station, Winning Polling Station." The initiative marks a significant ramping up of the DMK's election machinery.
A Direct Challenge to Delhi's 'Shah'
Speaking at a meeting of party workers in his Mylapore constituency and later posting on X (formerly Twitter), Stalin framed the upcoming battle as a defense of Tamil Nadu's autonomy. "What if Shah comes? How many plans have been made?" he wrote. "If you want to come to Tamil Nadu with the idea of Delhi being the Badu Shah (an arrogant lord from Delhi), our black and red army will teach you a lesson at every polling booth! Tamil Nadu is out of control for Delhi, which has always been arrogant!"
The statement is a clear and provocative retort to the BJP's national campaigns, directly targeting Amit Shah, often hailed by his party as a strategic mastermind. It signals the DMK's intent to center its campaign on a narrative of resisting what it portrays as an imposition of "Delhi's rule" on the state.
Grassroots Campaign: 'My Polling Station, Winning Polling Station'
Beyond the fiery rhetoric, the DMK is rolling out a structured, booth-level campaign. Stalin personally set a micro-target for workers: securing 440 votes per polling station. Under the new campaign, dedicated teams—mandated to include at least one woman member—will conduct door-to-door outreach for an entire month. The move aims to consolidate the party's base and maximize voter turnout in its favor by focusing on hyper-local engagement.
The twin strategy—a confrontational public narrative against the BJP paired with a granular, data-driven ground game—underscores the DMK's preparation for a high-stakes electoral contest. It positions the party not only as an administrator but as the guardian of Tamil Nadu's political identity against a centralizing force, setting the stage for a fiercely contested state election.
