MP Stalin's veiled attack on Vijay's TVK: 'Campaigns carried out through children...'

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin on Monday said the ruling TVK, led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, did not make any groundwork and yet won the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections and formed the government in the state.

Former Chief Minister Stalin spoke at the wedding reception of Dr. Kalaiyazhagi, daughter of former Tiruvarur district DMK secretary Poondi K Kalaichelvan.

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In a veiled attack on TVK, Stalin said, “Those who neither did any basic work, nor met booth agents, nor appointed booth agents, nor arranged enumeration agents, still won and formed the government. There is nothing wrong with that.”

He added: “By making heavy use of social media, it was very easy for them to campaign through children and grandparents, mothers and fathers.”

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Stalin assured that the DMK, while serving as the opposition, “will continue to do its duty by taking our message to the people through protests and demonstrations”.

At this point, Stalin listed several of his party’s initiatives, including conferences and work related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

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“It is we who continue to remain in government”

DMK chief Stalin said, “Today we are at the seat of government,” referring to a number of social programs introduced during the DMK regime of 2021-26.

After the DMK lost power in Tamil Nadu, Stalin said he appealed for a fresh dispensation to continue implementing social programs launched during his party’s tenure.

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He recalled that he had said in the election campaign that the chain of social programs implemented by the DMK, including those for the welfare of women and students, could not be changed by anyone in the future.

“When the new government was formed with a chance of victory, I saluted those who took charge in the new administration. I also asked to continue the plans introduced during the Dravidian model government,” Stalin was quoted as saying by ANI.

“Today we clearly see that the demand I made has been fulfilled,” he added. “That is why it is we who continue to remain in government,” Stalin said.

Stalin said that no one can “erase the schemes that have been put in place”.

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“As long as these plans exist, the Dravidian model government will continue to exist in Tamil Nadu,” he added.

The DMK chief said he was not disappointed by the defeat and reiterated that the party had set up a committee to tour all the 234 constituencies in the state to assess the ground situation and find out the reasons behind the debacle.

Incidentally, Stalin himself lost to TVK in Kolathur, Chennai.

A website ‘Udanpirappin kural’ was launched to allow party workers and others, including the general public, to express their views on the reasons behind the DMK’s defeat.

“The electoral defeat did not disappoint us. A committee was formed along with a dedicated website called ‘Udanpirappe’ to study our shortcomings, our problems, why we lost this opportunity to win and why we succeeded in certain constituencies,” Stalin said.

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“On this platform, the general public can express their opinion even outside of politics,” he added.

Stalin appealed: “Again, only we will come to power and work with this confidence.”

His concern was that if his party got another chance to form a government, it would introduce many more plans and that was sunk.

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Meanwhile, in a post on social media, the DMK chief said that a new government has been formed and his party will not make problems in the governance of the state.

But if they attacked the party and used slander to cover their incompetence, DMK will explain and expose their lies on social media.