‘Version 2.0 of the Dravidian Model Governance is loading’ and it will be a DMK government in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, Chief Minister M K Stalin asserted in the assembly on Tuesday, claiming it has performed exceedingly well despite being encircled by snakes and foxes as well as moat and a high wall.

Slamming the Modi government and Governor RN Ravi, he likened his government as one “Surrounded by snakes above and foxes below, besides a moat preventing any attempt to jump and a high wall blocking any avenue to escape. The Union Government is on one side and the Governor on the other side besides discrimination in financial allocation.”

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He was responding to the debate demand for grants for the Police and Fires and Rescue Services Departments, held by him, the Chief Minister exuded confidence in the DMK beating anti-incumbency and retaining power based on its good performance in the face of mounting challenges.

“With 9.6 percent economic growth, Tamil Nadu retains the first spot in the country and this data is provided by the Union Government which discriminates against the state. Electronics exports of Tamil Nadu is 10 million dollars, an all-time high. And, in socio-economic development, Tamil Nadu with 66.33 points remains at the top in the country.

“The government has overcome the challenges and continues to achieve success after success, which is the fruit of the tireless efforts of the ministers and officials,” he said.

Further, reeling out statistics further, he said “While 11.2 percent of the population in the country is below poverty line, it is 1.4 percent for Tamil Nadu. There is no drop out in middle schools and 25 of the top 100 universities are in the state. The per capita income for the country is Rs 2.6 lakh while it is 3.58 lakh for Tamil Nadu.”

Mocking the Chief Minister’s ‘version 2.0 loading’ remark, Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) said that the DMK will be shown the door in the 2026 assembly election. On the abject failures of the Stalin government, he listed out incidents like last year’s Kallakurichi hooch tragedy which claimed over 60 lives and the mixing of human feces in the overhead tank at the Dalit settlement in Vengaivayal in 2022 and the Anna University student sexual assault case as well as increasing drug menace in the state.

He also reminded the DMK of the arrest of Senthil Balaji by the ED. Taking to ‘X’, EPS said “People will say Bye Bye Stalin. There is only one version in 2026 – that is the #TN_AIADMK version.”