"Want To Move Forward Or...": DMK's Big Question To Gen Z, Counter To Vijay

The assembly election in Tamil Nadu due in five months, the ruling DMK's Youth Wing convened a massive conference at Tiruvannamalai today. Besides being a show of strength, it was also an answer to actor-turned-politician Vijay, whose TVK thrives on the support of Gen Z.

The DMK Youth Wing North Zonal meeting was held in Tiruvannamalai, in which Chief Minister MK Stalin participated as special guest. 

Party youth wing secretary and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin tacitly criticised the TVK chief. "People gather to witness the rainbow as it is beautiful. But that is not permanent, whereas the rising sun is permanent and it brings brightness," he said.

Chief Minister MK Stalin pointed out that the 2026 election is important, as people have to decide whether they would prefer to move forward or backwards.

"The AIADMK, which pushed Tamil Nadu backwards by a decade, will come and ask for votes by acting noble. The BJP, which has a tendency to betray Tamil Nadu, will spread its usual lies and try to create tension," he said.

The question before the people in 2026 is whether Tamil Nadu is going to move forward by fifty years or "surrender to those who are trying to go years backwards".  "The people's answer to that question is Dravida Government 2.0," he added.

Udhayanidhi Stalin also criticised the BJP, accusing it of attempting to enter Tamil Nadu by using the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Income Tax department and the Election Commission of India. 

He also called AIADMK a "slave to the BJP" and accused it of betraying the interests of the people of Tamil Nadu.

As TVK chief Vijay targets Gen Z and youth voters, DMK is not taking any chances. "Nowadays, there is a perception that youth cannot be controlled when they gather in large numbers. But the youth of our party are well-disciplined. The crowd which has gathered here is proof for that," Stalin Junior said.

"An undisciplined crowd, even if it numbers one crore, is of no use to anyone. Nothing can be achieved without discipline. Here, what we have is a disciplined crowd, an ideological force and a strength for the entire Tamil Nadu," he said.

He also responded to Union Minister Amit Shah's comment that after Bihar, the BJP's next target is Tamil Nadu. 

The Deputy Chief Minister underscored that Tamil Nadu is "unique". "The BJP could win in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and anywhere in the north. But you are doing a wrong calculation if you think you can enter Tamil Nadu easily. It won't happen... The fire of Periyar's ideology is guarding the state," he added.