MDMK general secretary Vaiko spoke to the media in Coimbatore on Monday. He said, “Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not enjoy a good reputation among the people, he knew how to earn a name for himself.” Vaiko added that Tamil Nadu's people were disappointed with the Union Budget 2026. They had hoped to see schemes and funds allocated to states like Tamil Nadu, which are set to have Assembly elections soon. Vaiko welcomed the fact that a Tamil had presented the Union Budget for the ninth time. He said the budget claimed to include plans to make India a developed country. However, he noted, the benefits of growth had not reached everyone. When asked about MDMK's expected seat count in the DMK alliance for the upcoming polls, Vaiko said, “I have no idea about it. We have to form a committee to hold seat-sharing talks, and the committee will speak to the DMK. Only after that will we know about the seats.” He added, “Others may talk about seat-sharing now, but I do not like to discuss it at this stage.” The comments were made on February 3, 2026.