Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 25 (ANI): The political war of words intensified in Tamil Nadu ahead of the Madurantakam Assembly bypoll, with AIADMK National Spokesperson Kovai Sathyan on Friday hitting back at Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay over his remarks targeting their parties during his campaign.
Reacting to Vijay's speech ahead of the Madurantakam Assembly bypoll on October 6, Kovai Sathyan alleged that the TVK chief's own candidate, who had earlier left the AIADMK, was facing rejection from voters.
Speaking to ANI, Sathyan said, "In today's CM Vijay's speech, it was evident that his candidate, who was poached and horse-traded from AIADMK, is being chased away... This imaginary narrative of the AIADMK-DMK alliance is not received well by the people."
He further claimed that the outcome of the bypolls would go against TVK. "The writing on the wall is going to be clear on the 6th: in both the by-election constituencies, Madurantakam and Dharapuram, the horse-trading of TVK will definitely not have favourable results for them and their party," he added.
Earlier, DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan also criticised Vijay's allegations against the opposition party, saying that the TVK chief was continuing to raise the same issues. Responding to Vijay's remarks during his campaign, Elangovan said, "Vijay continues to speak on the same line because he is instructed to speak on the same line."
Speaking to ANI, Elangovan alleged that the TVK government had not done any work for the people of Tamil Nadu so far. "His government has not done one good thing for the people of Tamil Nadu so far. Now they say that we will release water only for 45 days. 45 days is not enough for the Samba crops. I think he is not going to release water. He has not done any good thing for society," he said.
On Vijay's allegation that the DMK, AIADMK and BJP were working together, Elangovan said, "He says that AIADMK, DMK, and BJP are together. We are always attacking the BJP. Even during elections, our leader said that the BJP is our major enemy."
Earlier in the day, CM Vijay launched a sharp attack on the DMK and AIADMK during his campaign in the Madurantakam Assembly constituency, alleging that the AIADMK had become a "branch of the DMK" and describing TVK as the "pure force" against the "evil force".
Addressing voters in Madurantakam ahead of the October 6 Assembly bypoll, Vijay said, "The AIADMK has now become a branch of the DMK. If I speak about corruption in the Assembly, they get angry immediately. The moment I mention corruption, the DMK asks for proof. Their only intention is to not let me speak in the Assembly."
He alleged that the DMK was attempting to "defame" him over his remarks on corruption and said his political criticism would continue. "They are defaming me, saying, 'Why is Vijay speaking about corruption that happened 50 years ago?' We will not spare those who indulged in corruption. I am a thick-skinned person. I have seen everything in the last 34 years," Vijay said.
Questioning the DMK over corruption allegations, Vijay said, "Can the DMK people ever say that they will not indulge in corruption? There are only two contenders in this contest – the pure force, TVK, versus the evil force, DMK."
The Madurantakam bypoll was necessitated after former AIADMK MLA K Maragatham Kumaravel resigned and joined the TVK. The party has renominated her from the constituency for the October 6 bypoll. The constituency, located in Chengalpattu district, is witnessing a multi-cornered contest, with TVK fielding Maragatham Kumaravel as its candidate.
The election is among the first electoral contests for the Vijay-led TVK government after it came to power following the April 2026 Assembly elections.
Polling for the Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls is scheduled for October 6, while counting will take place on October 9. Earlier, TVK announced Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama as its candidates for the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituency by-elections. (ANI)
"TVK's horse-trading narrative won't work": AIADMK's Kovai Sathyan targets CM Vijay over his AIADMK-DMK alliance remarks
