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The fight in the political arena is heating up in Tamil Nadu as the state inches closer to polls. With just over 3 days left for the upcoming elections, women’s safety issues have taken a centre stage in politicians’ statements. While the state remains one of the safest places for women, recent surge in crimes against women have shaken the political atmosphere. The Opposition has stated that the DMK-Congress alliance has been unable to control violence against women in Tamil Nadu, even as cases of drug abuse are rising.

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Opposition Slams DMK Over Rising Crimes And Drug Menace

AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly highlighted the Anna University rape case, where a 19 year old student was raped on campus in 2024. During an election campaign at Sangagiri, Tamil Nadu, on April 17, 2026, targeting the ruling DMK-Congress government, he said that the law and order has deteriorated significantly in the state under the current government.

Urging people to vote for the AIADMK-BJP alliance, he said: “The situation has become so dire that even a two-year-old child is not spared, they are subjected to sexual violence and murder. If women in Tamil Nadu are to be safe, the AIADMK government must be restored to power”.

Palaniswami further accused the MK Stalin-led government of administrative paralysis, asserting that police inaction and the uncontrolled circulation of drugs have emboldened criminals across the state. This assertion regarding the dangerous intersection of drug abuse and violence was starkly highlighted just last week in Minjur, where a young girl was brutally hacked to death with a sickle by a group of youths allegedly under the influence of drugs.

The Opposition has frequently pointed this out, highlighting the DMK’s failure to curb the narcotics menace and protect its citizens.

However, the ruling DMK has vehemently defended its track record, dismissing the Opposition's claims as selective outrage. DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi countered these allegations by reminding voters of the AIADMK government's own failures in ensuring women's safety during their previous term, citing past administrative lapses where perpetrators allegedly operated with impunity.

Addressing the mounting questions on women's safety, alcohol, and drug abuse in the state during a recent interview, Kanimozhi stated: "Comparing statistics with other states, Tamil Nadu is doing much better than the national average in chargesheeting complaints, when it comes to crime against women. Tamil Nadu is 91%, while the national average is around 70%..... today in Tamil Nadu, the chief minister (MK Stalin) makes sure that when a crime is committed against women, immediately people who have been part of the crime are arrested and justice is done."

Kanimozhi further argued that the BJP-AIADMK alliance is utilizing women's safety issues merely as a convenient electoral tool to distract from their own governance deficits at the national level and their previous shortcomings in the state.

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Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Elections will be held on April 23, 2026 in a single phase. According to the Election Commission of India (EC), a total of 4023 candidates are going to contest the elections, with about 5.67 crore registered voters deciding the fate of the elections.

The high-stakes, multi-cornered contest is primarily driven by two major fronts, the ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, including the Congress and VCK, and the principal opposition AIADMK-led Alliance including the BJP. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is also making his electoral debut with his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party, as the newly formed party is contesting all the 234 seats independently.

(Rh)

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