Actor-politician Vijay set the tone for the remainder of his campaign for the Assembly election next year by calling the ruling DMK “evil” and his TVK “pure” at a rally in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district on Thursday afternoon. This was Vijay’s first rally in the state since 41 people were killed in a stampede in Karur on September 27.
“I reiterate: the TVK is a pure force, while the DMK is an evil power. In a succinct address that concluded with requests for the audience to disperse safely, Vijay thundered, “The battle is between the pure force and the evil.”
During his address, Vijay attacked the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which he has called his “political enemy,” on matters such as peace and order and the controversy surrounding Tamil Nadu’s request for an exemption from the NEET exam. “DMK and problems are attached… with Fevicol,” he stated. “They can’t be separated.”
The event was particularly noteworthy because it was held close to Vijayamangalam, the hometown of former AIADMK leader KA Sengottaiyan. He joined Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam last month after being kicked out of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam by frustrated party leader E Palaniswami. He is a senior politician and a highly skilled campaign strategist.
Since the stampede, Vijay has held two major public events. The first was last week in Puducherry, where he launched a barrage of assaults against the DMK, the ruling party in Tamil Nadu.
Among them was a jibe at Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy for offering “full security.”
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Vijay got into a fight over the Karur tragedy. The latter claimed that the crowd rush and fatalities were caused by the TVK’s disregard for police directives, while the former accused the latter of not providing adequate security.
In light of these murders, as well as the intense criticism directed at the DMK and Chief Minister MK Stalin, the police have devised complex strategies to uphold peace and order prior to, during, and following Vijay’s demonstration. These strategies include the deployment of more than 1,300 officers to handle an estimated 35,000 attendees.
The ground has been separated into 72 “public boxes” that should each hold no more than 500 people in order to control that crowd. Additionally, attendees have been cautioned not to follow Vijay’s convoy and not to light firecrackers before, during, or after the rally.
According to officials, those who are denied permission will not be allowed to climb surrounding trees or slip onto the terraces of nearby private buildings, and pregnant women, mothers with newborns and children, and people with physical disabilities will not be allowed to attend.
Additionally, people will not be permitted to be close to the local power infrastructure or transformers.
Erode’s political relevance
Given that EV Ramasamy, often known as “Periyar,” was born in Erode district, the western regions of Tamil Nadu are generally regarded as Dravidian strongholds. Vijay is attempting to demonstrate his socio-political credentials in the eyes of Tamil voters by claiming that legacy.
The DMK controls all eight Assembly seats in the Erode district, including Anthiyur, Erode (East), and Erode (West). The AIADMK has four of the remaining six seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party holds one (C Saraswathi was elected from Modakkurichi in the 2021 election).
Gobichettipalayam is one of those four. With the exception of 1996, when the DMK’s GP Venkidu prevailed, this has been an AIADMK stronghold since 1977. Perhaps more significantly, though, it is also Sengottaiyan’s heartland, therefore victory here will send a strong message from Vijay and the TVK.
Next year’s Assembly election will mark the electoral debut of Vijay’s TVK.
The well-known actor hopes to emulate other well-known actors who have made a successful move into politics, such as AIADMK mainstays and former chief ministers MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. However, he has at least two significant obstacles to overcome.
The first is entering an electoral environment that has been dominated for decades by the ruling DMK and its opponent, the AIADMK. The second is overcoming the negative publicity that followed the Karur disaster, where Vijay faced harsh criticism for his slow response to the killings.
The TVK has stated unequivocally that it has ruled out any pre-election pact and that the DMK and the BJP, its “ideological enemy,” will be its main rivals next year.
