M.K. Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, firmly defended his relationship with his late father, M. Karunanidhi, in response to comments made by Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the general secretary of the AIADMK party. During an election campaign in Tirunelveli, Stalin stated that Palaniswami had no right to comment on his family ties, particularly given his party's history of electoral failures, claiming Palaniswami had lost 10 elections since 2017. Stalin emphasized that the DMK's supporters, loyal to Karunanidhi, would ensure the party remains in power, stating, “People have already decided that the DMK should be elected to save Tamil Nadu.” He refuted Palaniswami's allegations of keeping Karunanidhi under house arrest, asserting that his father was a powerful leader with a vast following. Stalin also accused Palaniswami of political betrayal, referencing his past actions against other AIADMK leaders. He concluded by highlighting the DMK's achievements in the past five years, including a ₹100-crore library project in Tirunelveli, and criticized Palaniswami for attempting to adopt DMK policies to win back voter support.