Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay launched a scathing attack on the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a public gathering at YMCA Grounds in Nandanam on the final day of campaigning for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on April 23.
Vijay positioned himself as a challenger to the existing political establishment, alleging that both the DMK and AIADMK were essentially in league with the BJP. He claimed that voting for either of the two Dravidian parties was akin to supporting the BJP, pointing out a coordinated effort against him as evidence of a “hidden alliance” among the established factions.
Accusing M. K. Stalin’s government of targeting him for exposing alleged corruption, Vijay defended his actions by stating that he had only brought public attention to their misdeeds. He questioned the blame being shifted onto him regarding the Karur stampede incident and affirmed his compliance with police directives during the occurrence.
In a bid to sway voters, Vijay urged support for independent candidate K. Premakumar in the Edappadi constituency, advocating that a vote for Premakumar’s “TV” symbol would essentially be a vote for TVK. He also brushed off criticisms about his background in films, asserting that unlike his opponents, he was not putting on a political act but was a genuine actor.
Encouraging a high voter turnout, Vijay highlighted Puducherry’s nearly 90 percent polling rate as a model for Tamil Nadu. He called on families, particularly younger voters, to play a decisive role in household decisions, using his party’s “whistle” symbol as a campaign emblem. Dismissing the significance of opinion polls, he expressed confidence that the electorate would deliver the true verdict on election day.
Outlining his governance strategy, Vijay pledged to make regular visits to district collectorates to directly address public grievances. He predicted that post-election, the DMK would inevitably seek favor with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to maintain political relevance.
In his closing remarks, Vijay appealed to voters to place their trust in him on polling day, assuring them that while they should heed his advice for a day, he would be attentive to their needs every day thereafter, expressing optimism about securing victory.
