With barely four months remaining for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, political activity in the State has intensified, and actor-turned-politician Vijay has stepped up his campaign with renewed aggression. Addressing a large public meeting in Erode on Thursday, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder delivered a scathing critique of the ruling DMK, declaring that the real political contest in Tamil Nadu was now between the two parties. The Erode rally marked Vijay’s return to a full-scale public campaign after weeks of relative political silence following the tragic stampede in Karur.
Vijay’s Political Journey & Return To The Stage
After launching TVK and conducting two major state conferences, Vijay had planned an extensive district tour to connect directly with voters. He had already campaigned in Trichy, Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Namakkal when the unexpected stampede at a Karur public meeting claimed 41 lives, bringing his political outreach to a halt.
Following nearly two months of curtailed activity, Vijay resumed his campaign with a public meeting in Puducherry after a gap of 72 days, held under strict conditions. That was followed by Thursday’s major rally in Erode, organised with as many as 43 restrictions in place. The event was overseen by former AIADMK heavyweight Sengottaiyan, who has since parted ways with his party.
Invoking Erode’s History
Speaking at the meeting, Vijay sought to emotionally connect with the audience by invoking Erode’s cultural and historical legacy. “Erode is the auspicious land of turmeric, this soil is famous for agriculture, in this soil, there is also a sentimental thing about Kalingarayan, building a dam,” he said.
Recalling the sacrifice behind the historic Kalingarayan dam, Vijay added, “He was very tired while building the dam. It was his mother who encouraged him and sent him to build the dam. The courage given by his mother, he can achieve anything. Like that mother, you, sister, brother, are all you.”
He also paid tribute to social reformer Periyar, saying, “There was another one in Erode. Periyar is from Kadapparai, Erode district was born, our Periyar is the one who fought for the reservation law. The leader who is always surprising, our principled leader is Father Periyar.”
Direct Attack On DMK
Vijay’s sharpest remarks were reserved for the DMK. “DMK is an evil force… TVK is pure power… the competition is between the two,” he said, drawing loud cheers from supporters.
Hitting out at critics and political rivals, he remarked, “You don’t care about TVK at all, then why are you shouting, I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid. You’re trying to disguise but people are watching everything.”
Accusing the ruling party of betraying Periyar’s ideals, Vijay said, “Don’t commit robbery in the name of Periyar, these are the people who commit robbery in the name of Periyar.” He went on to question the DMK’s governance record, asking whether key promises had been fulfilled. “How many false promises have you made? NEET exemption and reduction in gas cylinder prices? Did you do any of this?” he asked.
