CM Stalin: BJP using Karur tragedy for 2026 election gains; EPS ‘in BJP’s washing machine’

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday accused the BJP of exploiting the Karur stampede tragedy for electoral mileage ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Speaking at a government function in Ramanathapuram, he questioned the BJP’s “selective urgency” and alleged that its actions were driven by “petty political motives, not concern.”

Stalin contrasted the BJP’s swift response in Karur with its silence over similar or worse tragedies across the country. “Why didn’t the BJP send immediate investigation teams for the Manipur riots, the Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat, or the Kumbh Mela deaths in Uttar Pradesh?” he asked. “This is not out of compassion. It is a desperate move for electoral advantage in 2026.”

Sharpening his attack, the Chief Minister accused the BJP of thriving on others’ struggles. “The BJP, which survives by riding on others’ backs, thrives like a parasite sucking their blood. Now it wants to use the Karur tragedy to pull new players under its control,” he said.

Targeting AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), Stalin said he had “jumped into the BJP’s washing machine to escape his wrongdoings” and had been tasked with bringing new allies into the NDA fold.

“Regardless of the mask they wear, the number of subordinates they gather, or whoever they try to co-opt —Tamil Nadu will remain out of BJP's control,” Stalin declared.

He also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had leaned closer to the RSS after the BJP’s reduced mandate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.