Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intensified his campaign for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on Saturday, April 18, 2026, delivering a stinging critique of the BJP-AIADMK alliance. Speaking at rallies in Ponneri and Ranipet just days before the April 23 polls, Gandhi framed the election as a battle to protect the state’s political and cultural autonomy from “Delhi’s control.”
The “Puppet CM” and Foreign Influence
Gandhi’s most provocative claim was that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “controlled” by U.S. President Donald Trump, alleging that this influence has compromised India’s energy security and data privacy. He argued that the BJP’s strategy in Tamil Nadu is to install a “puppet” Chief Minister through the AIADMK, who would bypass the state’s interests to follow orders from the Prime Minister and Amit Shah.
Defense of Tamil Identity
Characterizing the AIADMK as merely a “mask” for the BJP, Gandhi accused the Centre of trying to govern Tamil Nadu through a remote-control arrangement. He linked this to a broader “assault” on the state’s history and language, citing the opposition’s recent successful defeat of the Delimitation Bill as a victory for southern representation that the BJP seeks to undermine.
Electoral Strategy
The remarks are a calculated move to consolidate the INDIA bloc‘s base by tapping into regional pride. By framing the contest as a choice between “self-respect and submission,” Gandhi is attempting to turn the single-phase election into a referendum on federalism and the Prime Minister’s national and global policies.