EPS Mocks Stalin’s ‘Version 2.0 Loading’ Remark, Says People Will Say ‘Bye Bye Stalin’ In 2026

In the elections next year, people will say "Bye Bye Stalin," Palaniswami said in a post on 'X.' "There is only one version in 2026--that is the #TN_AIADMK version," the former CM said.

EPS also took an apparent swipe at the DMK over the arrest of ex-minister V Senthil Balaji by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a cash-for-jobs scam in 2023.

Source : Facebook

AIADMK general secretary and Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, on Tuesday mocked Chief Minister M K Stalin's "Version 2.0 loading" remarks made in the context of the 2026 state elections, questioning the CM on a number of issues, including women's safety and said the DMK will be shown the door in the hustings next year.

Palaniswami referred to incidents like the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy last year that left about 60 persons dead, the Anna University women student sexual assault, the Vengaivayal incident where human faeces were mixed in an overhead water tank largely catering to SC families, and also slammed the ruling DMK over the prevalence of drugs in the state.

He also took an apparent swipe at the DMK over the arrest of ex-minister V Senthil Balaji by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a cash-for-jobs scam in 2023.

In the elections next year, people will say "Bye Bye Stalin," Palaniswami said in a post on 'X.' "There is only one version in 2026--that is the #TN_AIADMK version," the former CM said.

Earlier, Stalin, exuding confidence of his party DMK retaining power in next year's elections, said that 2026 means "Version 2.0 loading." The DMK rule was going to step into its fifth year next month and he was confident that the next government will also be led by the Dravidian party, thanks to the various schemes and achievements, Stalin said in an address in the state Assembly.

"So far what has been witnessed is Dravidian model government part 1. Version 2.0 loading in 2026. We will create more records after that," he said.

Meanwhile, the DMK hit out at Palaniswami for his criticism, and alleged he was making such charges since Stalin had earlier highlighted like the Tuticorin police firing on anti-Sterlite protestors and the Pollachi sexual harassment case, both of which happened during the previous AIADMK regime.

DMK Organisation Secretary R S Bharathi alleged that Palaniswami, who was CM between 2016-21, led a "corruption" government and asked if he can speak "about the next version and all." "The AIADMK's version ended when it joined the BJP alliance (NDA).... even before elections, he is aware that people are going to hand them (NDA) a very bad defeat and is therefore staging all such drama," Bharathi said in a party statement.

He claimed the AIADMK will not get even six out of the 66 MLAs it has in the current Assembly, in the 2026 polls. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)