M K Stalin Takes Full Responsibility for DMK Poll Defeat, Orders 20-Day Review Panel

DMK president M K Stalin on Thursday said he takes full responsibility for the party’s defeat in the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and announced the formation of a panel to analyse the reasons for the setback , which will submit its report within 20 days .

Addressing district secretaries at Anna Arivalayam , the party headquarters in Chennai, Stalin said the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance , despite not achieving complete victory, secured 1.54 crore votes and a total of 72 seats along with its allies, reflecting continued public trust in the coalition.

He said most alliance partners had reaffirmed their commitment to continue with the DMK, adding that the coalition would remain united to pursue the welfare of Tamil Nadu and the cause of state rights. “We will continue our journey as principled political parties,” he said.

Stalin said the DMK’s performance winning 59 seats on its own was significantly better than past defeats and stressed that success and failure were part of democratic politics. He added that he would not blame anyone for the loss and instead accepted responsibility as party leader.

Taking a dig at the AIADMK, Stalin said the DMK showed “maturity” by not resorting to shifting MLAs to resorts, unlike rivals. He also referred to the current political scenario, noting coalition dynamics in government formation and internal developments within the AIADMK, urging party cadres to act responsibly and efficiently in the Assembly.