During a rally in Puducherry, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin (president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party) criticized the central government for its failure to grant full statehood to Puducherry, despite the union territory's legislative assembly passing resolutions urging this change 14 times. He accused the Lieutenant Governor of undermining Chief Minister N Rangasamy, portraying him as a puppet leader. Stalin pointed to governance failures, including issues with law enforcement and public health, and questioned the Prime Minister's presence in Puducherry amid these challenges. He emphasized the April 9 elections as a pivotal moment for the people to demand change and pledged that a future DMK-led government would ensure full powers for the Chief Minister, curtail the Lieutenant Governor's authority, and implement various development initiatives. The DMK is contesting the elections in coalition with the Congress and VCK, aiming to secure a significant number of seats.