Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu campaigned in Coimbatore on Sunday, urging voters to defeat the DMK and calling for what he described as a “double-engine” government in Tamil Nadu. He met NDA alliance candidates and leaders from the BJP and AIADMK at a hotel in the city, with representatives of key industry bodies also attending.
In his address, Naidu alleged that the DMK and Congress had opposed and “defeated” the delimitation and women’s reservation bills, arguing that the fallout would be borne by southern states and women. He termed it an injustice and said it had placed hurdles in the path of women’s progress.
Highlighting development initiatives, he credited the Modi government with implementing multiple programmes over the past 12 years and improving India’s global standing. He said Andhra Pradesh had secured investments in information technology, including projects such as data centres and quantum computing, and spoke about efforts to improve river systems and expand aviation infrastructure.
Naidu also criticised the Tamil Nadu government for what he called reluctance to provide land for the Coimbatore airport expansion. He further alleged that corruption, narcotics and law-and-order issues had grown under the DMK, and claimed the state’s IT sector had declined with investments moving elsewhere.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Naidu said Tamil Nadu effectively had two alliances in the fray—an AIADMK-led NDA and a DMK-led INDIA bloc—and reiterated that states with “double-engine” governments had seen better progress. He questioned the DMK’s stand on the bills and argued that opposing them harmed the interests of southern states and women.
