The battle is between Tamil culture and BJP's fascism

Clad in a red T-shirt and black trousers, M.K. Stalin has just returned from a long morning walk—meeting people, posing for selfies, and checking whether they had benefited from government welfare schemes.

- BY LAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAN

Inside a temporary residence tucked away in a remote village near Paramakudi—a small town sandwiched between Madurai and Ramanathapuram—amid a brief pause in his poll campaign, the chief minister exudes confidence ahead of what he describes as a contest between “Tamil Nadu and Delhi” in the upcoming elections.

Stalin, 73, is acutely aware that this election represents a crucial battle for the DMK—not only to retain power and counter the BJP, but also to navigate the challenges posed by investigations targeting the party. For him, 2026 represents a “historically significant” opportunity to entrench a governance model that he believes has fundamentally reshaped the socioeconomic fabric of households across the state. In this interview with THE WEEK, Stalin frames the Dravidian Model 2.0 not merely as an electoral platform, but as an ideological evolution.

Excerpts:

The opposition alliance appears strong. Do you consider this election to be challenging?

The opposition coalition you mention is one that has already been defeated by the Secular Progressive Alliance led by the DMK; it is a coalition that has been rejected by the people of Tamil Nadu. Every family in Tamil Nadu has benefited from the remarkable welfare schemes of the Dravidian Model government. The people of Tamil Nadu stand with the DMK alliance. Therefore, this assembly polls will certainly be a historically significant victory for the DMK.

What would you call as your most significant contribution to the state in the past five years?