Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay, on Thursday (December 18, 2025), launched a sharp attack on the ruling DMK, describing it as an “evil force” and projecting his party as a “pure force” committed to people-oriented governance. He said former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa had used similar descriptions for the DMK, and that he was reiterating their stance. “The political contest will be between these two forces alone,” he said.Addressing a campaign meeting near the Vijayamangalam toll plaza in Perundurai taluk of Erode district — his first public address since the Karur stampede on September 27 — Mr. Vijay said his political journey was built on long-standing ties with the people, developed over more than three decades.Claiming that a “conspiratorial group” was spreading false allegations to tarnish his image, he said such efforts would fail because his relationship with the people was deep-rooted and enduring. “These bonds are not recent; they go back over 30 years,” he added, noting that public support remained steadfast.
A huge crowd gathered during the TVK chief Vijay’s campaign meeting on December 18, 2025
| Photo Credit:
E. Lakshmi Narayanan
Referring to Erode district’s agrarian heritage, Mr. Vijay highlighted the importance of turmeric cultivation and recalled the historic role of the Kalingarayan anicut and canal system in safeguarding farmers’ livelihoods. He criticised successive governments for failing to implement and expand irrigation projects, such as the Athikadavu-Avinashi scheme, which he said could benefit lakhs of acres across several districts.Accusing the DMK of failing to honour its electoral promises, Mr. Vijay listed certain unfulfilled assurances, including the waiver of education loans, the abolition of NEET, river-linking projects, and river-cleaning initiatives. He alleged that while river sand mining continued unchecked, the concerns of farmers, weavers, and small-scale producers remained neglected.Describing C.N. Annadurai and M.G.R. as enduring icons and assets of the State, Mr. Vijay said no one could object to invoking them. “No one can say, ‘Anna is ours, M.G.R. is ours; you must not take them,’” he said. He maintained that the TVK was pursuing an independent political course and criticised detractors who repeatedly attacked the party while dismissing it as irrelevant. “I have no fear,” he said.
