NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin expressed his optimism over the DMK-led alliance’s victory in the state assembly elections. He claimed that they would be able to secure over 200 seats in the polls, while he also launched attack at the BJP of trying to use the women’s quota as a “weapon” against the opposition. He also trained guns at the AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, the enforcement directorate and the Centre.Stalin said the Secular Progressive Alliance, which includes Congress, Left parties and the VCK, would sweep the 234-member Assembly and form the Dravidian Model 2.0 government. He claimed public support for the DMK had been strengthened by five years of governance and welfare measures. “People have placed immense love and trust in my party, and with their support, the SPA will win more than 200 seats and form the Dravidian Model 2.0 government,” he said.

Women’s quota row

The chief minister said the Union government was not serious about implementing reservations for women and accused the BJP-led Centre of trying to use it to counter the opposition ahead of the delimitation exercise. “The Union government is not concerned about implementing reservations for women. If their concerns were genuine, they could have done it right away. Rather than doing that, the BJP-led Centre is thinking of using it as a weapon to tackle opposition and take up the delimitation exercise based on population,” he said.He added that women’s reservation must be implemented immediately and without linking it to delimitation. Stalin also said Tamil Nadu had raised the first voice on the issue of delimitation after realising the state could be affected, and argued that states with successful population-control measures should not be punished.

Attack on EPS

Stalin dismissed Palaniswami’s charge that his family was a “power centre”, calling it imaginary and intended to divert attention from the DMK government’s record. He also hit back at the AIADMK chief over criticism on women’s safety and law and order, saying the Pollachi sexual assault case remained a reminder of the previous regime’s failures.He alleged that the AIADMK lacked ideology or principle and said the Delhi BJP functioned as its headquarters. On delimitation, he accused Palaniswami of being “mute” and said the AIADMK leader was effectively backing the BJP’s position.

ED and welfare claims

Stalin described ED actions in the TASMAC and sand-mining cases as “Centre produced, ED-enacted dramas” and accused the agency of being turned “servile.” He said the alleged TASMAC scam and illegal sandmining cases were politically scripted.He also defended his government’s welfare schemes, saying the women’s monthly entitlement of Rs 1,000 and the breakfast scheme for schoolchildren were among the initiatives closest to his heart. He said the women’s rights scheme would be raised to Rs 2,000 in the next term, while the breakfast programme would be expanded up to Class 8.This comes amid the run-up to the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with counting scheduled for May 4. Stalin said the DMK-led alliance had remained strong since 2019 and would also perform well in Puducherry, where polling was held on April 9.