TVK president and actor C. Joseph Vijay campaigned in Chennai’s Perambur Assembly constituency on Monday. | Photo credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president C Joseph Vijay, who launched his election campaign for the upcoming assembly elections from Perambur constituency where he is making his electoral debut, said on Monday that Tamil Nadu needs to be saved from the DMK.
Addressing cadres and supporters at TVK Link Road in Kodungaiyur, Mr. Vijay said that Tamil Nadu was currently facing serious problems such as lack of women safety, poor law and order and increasing spread of narcotics. “DMK is the reason for this state of the state. We have to save Tamil Nadu from DMK which is an evil force,” he said.
He said that Perambur is close to his heart and he considers it as his home. Referring to the presence of Lourde Annai Church, Prasanna Narasimha Perumal Temple and several mosques in the area, the TVK chief said he decided to launch his election campaign from Perambur by following his conscience.
He questioned the government under the DMK regime and asked how people could live without access to basic amenities and security. “Is it a state or a jungle? If a government is unable to provide for the basic needs and security of its people, then what is the point of being in power for five years?” he said.
Accusing DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin of lack of concern for the welfare of the people, Mr Vijay alleged that the DMK had only focused on corruption and enriching its family during the last five years in power.
He criticized the government for failing to provide security and job opportunities and said that the Stalinist government must be removed. He urged voters to come out in large numbers and participate in the polls on April 23 and vote for his party.
Later, he also campaigned for his party’s candidate in the Kolathur Assembly segment, where Mr. Stalin is contesting for the fourth time.
Campaign cancelled
Initially, Mr. Vijay was scheduled to campaign in Perambur, Kolathur and Villivakkam assembly segments from 2 pm till Monday late evening. However, he launched his campaign earlier than planned.
He addressed the public only for a few minutes in Perambur and Kolathur Assembly segments. He did not proceed to Villivakkam as planned. The party cited a lack of security as the reason for the schedule change.
In a statement, party general secretary N. Anand said proper arrangements were not made to ensure the safety of people and diversion of traffic at the places and routes where Mr. Vijay was scheduled to speak in Kolathur and Villivakkam. He said the party had to cancel the Villivakkam campaign keeping in mind the safety of Mr. Vijay and the public.
The party also wrote to the Election Commission citing deficiencies in security arrangements. In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer, TVK CTR Joint General Secretary Nirmal Kumar alleged that “absolutely no police deployment or traffic management was provided by the authorities” for Mr. Vijay’s convoy as it proceeded from Perambur to Kolathur.
He also said that due to the overwhelming response and large public gathering on the roads, the campaign vehicle was stopped, bringing the entire campaign to a standstill. He asked the Election Commission to direct the Greater Chennai City Police to ensure adequate staffing and proper traffic management for Mr. Vijay’s campaign.
Published – March 31, 2026 0:43 AM IST
