Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Jul 7 (PTI) AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami launched his statewide campaign for the 2026 Assembly election from Tamil Nadu’s Mettupalayam on Monday.

The former chief minister justified the alliance with the BJP whose leaders too joined his roadshow in the evening, and said the combine would register a resounding win in next year’s poll.

Addressing a mammoth crowd at the roadshow taken from the Gandhi Statue to the bus station here, Palaniswami took a dig at Chief Minister M K Stalin saying “some people will get fever after watching this massive roadshow.” “The DMK found the BJP good when it aligned in the past. Now it finds the BJP communal only because the AIADMK formed an alliance with it. What else can he (Stalin) say,” Palaniswami said, while addressing the crowd from a special coach designed for his campaign.

Flanked by BJP state chief Nainar Nagenthran and Union Minister L Murugan, Palaniswami said the combine would end the DMK’s rule in the state.

Hailing Palaniswami as the future chief minister, Nagenthran said the BJP-AIADMK combination was a natural alliance.

Interacting with farmers and weavers at Thekkampatti after commencing his campaign, the former CM, who would tour all the 234 Assembly constituencies in the state, reiterated that the Athikadavu-Avinashi irrigation project would be further expanded and implemented to benefit all farmers.

“We reaffirm our commitment that ours will be a farmers’ friendly government,” Palaniswami said.

Earlier, he offered prayers at the Vana Bhadrakali Amman temple before kick-starting his poll campaign titled: “Let’s protect the people, Let’s redeem Tamil Nadu.” PTI JSP JSP KH