Tamil Nadu MDMK chief Vaiko pledges to shield CM Vijay as DMK feud and Mekedatu dam row intensify

MDMK chief Vaiko said he will act as an “armour and a shield” for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, praising the TVK government for ending corruption and accusing the DMK of targeting him for supporting the ruling party. He criticised Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar as a “bonded labourer” of the Union government and warned that Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam would threaten water supplies for about 25 districts in Tamil Nadu, calling for a statewide protest. Vaiko also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged NEET‑UG irregularities.

Senior DMK leader T K S Elangovan dismissed claims that the DMK tried to buy a TVK MLA, calling the allegations “absolutely foolish”. Meanwhile, TVK MLA Saravanan alleged that the DMK offered him between ₹30 crore and ₹50 crore to switch parties and that he faced threats after refusing, prompting police arrests of alleged intermediaries. The DMK has denied the bribery accusations.