Tamil Nadu Minister and TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna on Tuesday accused the DMK and AIADMK of running a “coordinated negative campaign” against Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay ahead of the October 6 Assembly bypolls in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, alleging that the two principal Dravidian parties appeared to have reached a tacit understanding against the ruling party.
Arjuna alleged that the campaign had increasingly moved away from ideological and governance issues towards personal attacks on Vijay and other TVK leaders. He claimed that the similar line of attack adopted by the DMK and AIADMK pointed to what he described as an “unholy alliance” aimed at weakening the TVK.
‘Personal attacks’
Speaking to reporters, Arjuna accused the DMK of relying on slander, obscene remarks and attacks on the personal lives of political opponents rather than challenging the government on policy and ideology.
He particularly targeted Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin, alleging that the DMK leader had resorted to personal attacks during the campaign. Udhayanidhi has separately stepped up his criticism of the Vijay government, attacking it over law and order and power cuts and describing it as a “reels government”.
The exchanges have added to an increasingly acrimonious campaign in the two constituencies, with leaders from the ruling TVK and Opposition parties trading allegations over governance as well as personal conduct.
AIADMK also targeted
Arjuna also trained his guns on AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, alleging that the party had moved away from the principles associated with its former leaders M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.
He claimed that loyal AIADMK workers were being sidelined and alleged that the party was increasingly being controlled by Palaniswami’s family. The AIADMK has rejected TVK allegations of any understanding with the DMK and has mounted its own campaign against the Vijay government.
Palaniswami has recently targeted Vijay over several issues, including the Mekedatu dispute, the government’s handling of dengue cases and allegations surrounding a POCSO case. AIADMK leaders have also challenged TVK’s claim that the two Opposition parties are working together.
‘Unholy alliance’ charge
Arjuna alleged that despite their longstanding political rivalry, the DMK and AIADMK under Palaniswami were effectively working towards the same objective during the bypoll campaign.
He claimed their use of similar political narratives and attacks against Vijay showed a convergence between the two parties. Neither the DMK nor the AIADMK has announced any electoral arrangement for the two bypolls, and Arjuna’s claim of a tacit understanding remains a political allegation.
Premalatha criticised
The TVK minister also criticised DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth over her party’s alignment with the DMK. He alleged that the move amounted to compromising the political position associated with her late husband and DMDK founder Vijayakanth.
“The soul of the late actor-politician Vijayakanth will not forgive Premalatha for aligning with a party that he had previously rejected,” Arjuna said.
His remarks came as parties intensified campaigning ahead of the final week before polling, with senior leaders expected to make further visits to both constituencies.
High-stakes bypolls
Madurantakam and Dharapuram will vote on October 6, with counting scheduled for October 9. Both seats became vacant after AIADMK MLAs K Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama resigned from the Assembly shortly after this year’s election and joined Vijay’s TVK.
The TVK has fielded the two former AIADMK legislators from the seats they vacated, making their defections a central issue in the campaign. The contests have drawn senior leaders from the TVK, DMK and AIADMK, with the Opposition seeking to test the ruling party months after Vijay took office.
Arjuna claimed Vijay’s campaigning had gained significant traction in both constituencies and predicted a strong performance by the TVK. With polling still a week away, however, the claim reflects the ruling party’s campaign assessment rather than an established indication of the electoral outcome.