TIRUCHY: TVK chief Vijay on Thursday sharpened his attack on the DMK and BJP, urging voters to reject both while conspicuously avoiding any direct mention of the AIADMK, even as he positioned the 2026 Assembly contest as a straight fight between TVK and the ruling DMK.
Addressing a large rally at Marakkadai after filing his nomination from Tiruchy East, Vijay alleged an “illegitimate nexus” between the DMK and BJP, dubbing the DMK-led front a “cash box alliance” and the BJP camp as “Delhi boss and others,” a formulation that implicitly included the AIADMK without naming it.
He accused the DMK government of failing to deliver on key promises, citing unmet assurances such as the LPG subsidy, the sugarcane procurement price, additional ration sugar, and the NEET exemption. Questioning the governance priorities, he took a swipe at Chief Minister M K Stalin over the handling of issues such as LPG shortages.
Vijay also levelled corruption charges against sections of the administration, alleging large-scale irregularities in recruitment and a “Rs 1,000 crore scam,” while coining “SST” (Stalin Sir Tax) to target the regime. He singled out a senior minister over alleged bribery in jobs.
Projecting TVK as an alternative, he promised to deliver on poll commitments, with a focus on education, public distribution, drinking water, roads and transport, and called for “compulsory voting,” branding the election a “whistle puratchi.”
The actor-politician also described the Karur incident as a “conspiracy” and linked it to the release of his film Jana Nayagan, saying he was seeking “justice.”
Vijay’s decision to sidestep the AIADMK comes amid competing narratives from DMK and AIADMK leaders projecting a bipolar contest. Political observers said the tactic could help him consolidate anti-DMK votes and appeal to sections uneasy with the AIADMK’s BJP ties, while energising his cadre by framing TVK as the principal challenger.