Udhayanidhi Stalin targets CM Vijay over unfulfilled promises

Political tensions are escalating in Tamil Nadu ahead of the Dharapuram assembly by-election. DMK Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin has launched a multi-pronged attack on Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

During campaign rallies in Madurantakam, Udhayanidhi accused the TVK government of failing to fulfill key election promises, including increased financial assistance for women, unemployment benefits, and the distribution of free LPG cylinders. He also criticized the state's law and order situation and the handling of the Karur tragedy, where 41 people died in a stampede. Udhayanidhi alleged that Vijay evaded accountability following the incident.

In a notable rhetorical shift, Udhayanidhi instructed DMK cadres to use the religious chant ‘Om Kali, Jai Kali’ to counter TVK's previous slogans, pairing it with the term ‘Odugali’ (runaway) to characterize the Chief Minister as someone fleeing responsibility.

Meanwhile, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has also joined the fray, accusing the TVK of deceiving farmers and criticizing the party for allegedly inducing ‘turncoats’ to join their ranks. Palaniswami further criticized the TVK leadership regarding the Karur stampede and the management of agricultural issues.