Published Jun 01, 2026 | 9:43 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 01, 2026 | 9:44 PM
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay addressing a rally in Tiruchirappalli on Monday, 1 June.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay launched a broadside against DMK in his first-ever public meeting after assuming the charge of the state.
The Opposition DMK and AIADMK wasted no time in firing back, which could mark the beginning of a series of political war of words in Tamil Nadu.
Addressing the rally at St Joseph’s College in Tiruchirappalli on Monday, 1 June, Vijay repeatedly targeted DMK, defended TVK supporters, and positioned his party as the principal challenger to the Dravidian major.
Vijay had, before the 23 April Assembly elections, said that the DMK and BJP were TVK’s primary enemies. On Monday, he accused the previous DMK dispensation of attempting to prevent TVK from coming to power.
The speech assumed political significance as it came just weeks after TVK had formed the government with the help of the Congress party, CPI, CPI(M), IUML and VCK, the political formations that fought the polls in alliance with DMK.
Also Read: TVK denies horse-trading charges
Opening his speech with an emotional pitch, Vijay thanked voters of the Trichy East constituency and called Trichy “the heart of Tamil Nadu”.
“Special greetings and thanks to the people of Trichy constituency,” he said.
Though Vijay is officially the MLA from Perambur constituency, he said Trichy East remained emotionally close to him.
“Trichy is like the heart of Tamil Nadu, and Trichy East is very close to my heart,” he said.
After winning from both the Trichy East and Perambur Assembly constituencies, Vijay resigned from the Trichy East seat and retained Perambur.
Following his resignation, the Election Commission recently declared the Trichy East seat vacant, and a by-election is expected to be announced soon.
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In a direct attack on the DMK, Vijay said Opposition parties had initially claimed they would remain silent for six months after the election but “could not remain silent even for six days”.
“Even within half an hour of us forming the government, they started attacking us,” he said.
Without naming specific incidents in detail, Vijay referred to alleged political manoeuvres that took place days before TVK formed the government and suggested multiple political actors attempted to stop his party’s ascent.
“What they did five days before government formation… it made me wonder whether politics could really go to such an extent,” he said.
The remarks appeared to be an oblique reference to the intense political tensions and behind-the-scenes negotiations that followed the announcement of election results after TVK emerged as the single-largest party amid allegations of backchannel talks between the DMK and AIADMK to prevent Vijay from forming the government.
Vijay also declared that Tamil Nadu politics had effectively become a direct contest between TVK and DMK.
“I will not say I have no political enemies. Even now, I say the contest is only between two parties, one is TVK and the other is DMK. Nobody in between has any work,” he said.
He refrained from mentioning the AIADMK, but asserted that ‘other parties had no role’ before the elections and ‘have absolutely no role’ after the polls.
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Vijay also addressed criticism and online trolling directed at him since entering politics, saying mockery from opponents only strengthened him politically.
“Please don’t stop mocking and trolling me. Those who mock me energises me,” he said.
The actor-turned-politician also defended his trademark black-and-white suits, which have become part of his public political image since the campaign period.
“Why shouldn’t we wear a coat and a suit? Is it only for those in power and dominant forces?” he asked.
“I wear only two colours, black and white. My mind is also black and white,” he added.
In a veiled political reference, Vijay remarked that people “already know what black symbolises”, a comment likely to trigger political interpretation in Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian political landscape, where black has historically carried ideological significance.
Also Read: AIADMK seeks CBI probe into TVK’s ‘horse-trading’
Vijay said he intentionally kept his speeches brief because people were expecting him to focus more on governance than indulging in political rhetoric.
“I have mostly spoken only for 20 minutes in public meetings. People told me, Vijay, you came to work for the people, so focus only on governance,” he said.
He also claimed that public interest in Assembly proceedings had increased after TVK assumed office.
“Earlier, nobody paid attention to what happened inside the Assembly. After TVK came to power, people are closely watching the Assembly proceedings,” he said.
Using contemporary political slang targeting the DMK, Vijay remarked that “people who earlier watched only reels are now watching news”.
‘Calling TVK voters tharkuris insulted the people’
A major section of Vijay’s speech focused on criticism allegedly directed at TVK supporters by rival political camps.
Referring to the controversial usage of the term “tharkuri” (loosely translated as illiterate) against TVK supporters during the election campaign, Vijay accused opponents of insulting ordinary voters.
“People are good when they vote for you. But if they vote for TVK, suddenly they become tharkuris?” he asked.
“These are the same people who voted for you for decades. Did people from another planet come and vote for you?” he asked sarcastically.
The “tharkuri” remark became a recurring political flashpoint during the election season, with TVK cadres portraying it as elitist mockery aimed at young and first-time voters supporting Vijay.
Vijay claimed that the same ridiculed people were now reshaping Tamil Nadu politics.
“You called them tharkuris. Those very people have now turned your political future into a question mark,” he said.
Stepping up the offensive, Vijay accused the DMK of becoming an “adimai koodaram” (camp of slaves).
“Who turned the DMK into an obedient camp?” he asked.
Claiming that even “real DMK cadres” privately acknowledged it, Vijay alleged that the reasons lay “within their own family”, an apparent reference to criticisms often levelled by opponents regarding dynastic politics within the DMK.
Vijay also made a politically significant remark regarding Tamil Nadu’s free electricity scheme.
He claimed that the 100-unit free electricity scheme was introduced during former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK government and not by the DMK.
“The 100-unit free electricity scheme was brought by Jayalalithaa, not the DMK,” he said.
Despite saying that TVK could have received “even more support” in the election, Vijay expressed confidence that future elections would favour his party.
“If people had supported us a little more, it would have been even better. But now there is confidence that future victories belong to TVK,” he said.
Vijay’s speech intended to convey that TVK’s electoral victory was not a one-time phenomenon but the beginning of a long-term political realignment in Tamil Nadu politics.
Vijay’s speech triggered sharp reactions from both the AIADMK and DMK, with the two parties accusing the TVK leader of attempting to portray himself as a political victim while ignoring allegations surrounding the government formation and governance failures.
The AIADMK IT wing described Vijay’s address as a “narcissistic speech” and accused him of speaking “without even slightly realising the responsibility of the office he holds”.
Questioning Vijay’s remarks on administration and law and order, the AIADMK asked whether governance would function automatically “just by appointing police officers”.
The party also accused the Chief Minister of failing to show concern over crimes, deaths, and women’s safety issues allegedly taking place under his government.
“So many crimes are happening under your rule, so many deaths, women do not feel safe, did your face or speech show even a little concern or sadness about any of this?” the statement asked.
The AIADMK further criticised Vijay for allegedly blaming previous governments for the present-day administrative and financial problems.
“Saying the previous government is responsible for everything, is that what you call change?” the party asked.
Responding to Vijay’s allegation that rival political forces attempted to stop TVK from forming the government, the AIADMK challenged him to produce evidence.
“If someone shouts or speaks in cinematic dialogue modulation, do lies become truth?” the party asked, referring to Vijay’s film background.
The AIADMK also alleged that TVK engaged in “horse-trading” before assuming office. Referring to a viral video involving AMMK MLA S Kamaraj, the party alleged that signatures were obtained hurriedly inside a car and claimed the footage later surfaced through TVK circles.
The party further accused TVK of using political influence to pressure AIADMK MLAs to resign and join the ruling party after the elections.
“It is political indecency to make legislators resign downstairs at the Secretariat through abuse of power and conduct party merger events upstairs,” the AIADMK alleged, adding that such developments could become “important evidence in future legal proceedings”.
The AIADMK also mocked Vijay’s claim that Tamil Nadu politics was now only between TVK and DMK, alleging that while TVK publicly dismisses other parties, it spends “24 hours thinking about whom to poach from the AIADMK”.
In a sarcastic swipe at Vijay’s remarks about his trademark black-and-white suits, the AIADMK said he could “wear suits and even buy a house in the posh Poes Garden” as “nobody is bothered about it”.
The party added that the real competition between TVK and DMK was “in deceiving people and failing to fulfil promises”.
The DMK, too, stoutly rejected Vijay’s allegation that political forces had conspired to prevent him from forming the government. It accused the Chief Minister of “shedding crocodile tears” in Trichy.
In its response, the DMK IT wing said Vijay’s speech showed that he had not understood the Constitutional process involved in government formation.
“If you truly have courage, release before the people the letters submitted to the Governor, staking claim to form the government,” the party said.
The DMK alleged that Vijay engaged in political manoeuvring driven by “desperation to somehow capture power” and accused TVK of carrying out activities that violated democratic norms during the post-election period.
Referring again to the viral video involving AMMK MLA Kamaraj, the DMK alleged that signatures were obtained in haste inside a car and later released in public after the footage had surfaced on social media.
The DMK also accused TVK of secretly approaching a section of AIADMK MLAs ahead of the Assembly trust vote and encouraging them to violate the party whip during the confidence motion.
“After carrying out such political manoeuvres against democratic values, Vijay is now portraying himself as some kind of political saint in Trichy,” the party said.
Contrasting Vijay’s remarks with DMK president MK Stalin’s stand after the election results, the party said Stalin had officially announced on the very first day that the DMK would function as a constructive Opposition while respecting the people’s mandate.
The DMK further accused Vijay of trying to divert attention from his government’s administrative shortcomings by continuously blaming political rivals and previous governments.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
