CHENNAI: Chief Minister and TVK president C Joseph Vijay is scheduled to launch his maiden campaign for the bypoll in Maduranthakam Assembly constituency on September 25, Minister N Anand announced on Thursday.

Addressing a gathering of booth agents alongside Minister Aadhav Arjuna, Anand said that the TVK founder will address a select 5,000 members at 3 pm.

“Chief Minister Vijay is the reason why I won the election and am now a minister. Similarly, Maragatham Kumaravel is not the candidate in the Madurantakam constituency. You should keep in mind that our Thalapathy himself is the candidate,” said Anand, while addressing functionaries.

He rejected charges of buying the former AIADMK member. “They are saying that we gave suitcases of money to buy her. We do not even have the money to buy even a box. We did not give anything to our sister. Maragatham Kumaravel joined the TVK because the DMK and AIADMK were joining hands," he said.

Meanwhile, Public Works Minister and TVK general secretary for election campaign management Aadhav Arjuna on Thursday put the caste census at the centre of his campaign in Madurantakam, questioning the DMK's commitment to social justice and urging voters to ask why it had not conducted a caste census during its five-year tenure.

Addressing election in-charges and booth agents in Madurantakam, Aadhav said people in the State would judge political parties on three issues — secularism, social justice and governance. "The DMK speaks of social justice. Why did it not conduct a caste census for five years?" he asked.

Aadhav said the TVK government had ordered a caste census soon after assuming office and described it as a historic social-justice measure after 1931, even though the TVK government has said that it would be conducted only after the Union government completes the national Census.

He also attacked the DMK and the AIADMK, alleging that the two parties had sought to undermine the people's mandate. Rejecting the DMK's allegation that TVK candidate Maragatham Kumaravel had resigned from the AIADMK after receiving money, he said, "The DMK tried to steal the people's verdict by joining hands with AIADMK. Not us."

Aadhav said the present AIADMK was neither the party founded by MG Ramachandran nor the organisation nurtured under J Jayalalithaa. He questioned criticism of leaders joining TVK, saying former minister MC Sampath and others had joined the party in opposition to what they viewed as a dilution of AIADMK ideology.

He alleged that the DMK had underestimated TVK president Vijay before the 2026 Assembly election, relying on alliances and money power rather than on people, women and youth. He also alleged that Vijay's campaign was restricted after the Karur incident.

Seeking a one-lakh-vote margin in both bypolls, he said, "A victory secured through money is no victory. A genuine victory comes from people and women voting freely."