Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader and Cabinet Minister Aadhav Arjuna launched a sharp attack on the DMK leadership, blaming former Chief Minister M K Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin for the party's defeat in the Assembly elections.
Addressing a thanksgiving public meeting in Villivakkam after his victory as MLA and appointment as Minister, Adhav Arjuna said the DMK's administrative failures and leadership style were the primary reasons behind the party's electoral setback.
He claimed that many people initially did not believe actor-turned-politician Vijay would become Chief Minister, but the public ultimately rejected those who campaigned against him(DMK).
"Vijay's 10-day campaign alone was enough for the people to reject the entire DMK. Had he campaigned for six months, the DMK would not have even won five seats," he claimed.
Adhav Arjuna further said that the DMK leadership failed to respect both the party cadre and alliance partners. He contrasted Udhayanidhi Stalin with Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, stating that while Kanimozhi followed ideological politics, Udhayanidhi lacked the same political approach.
He also alleged that "horse-trading politics" took place within the DMK and claimed that attempts were made to prevent Vijay from becoming Chief Minister. He accused Udhayanidhi Stalin and his close aide Sabareesan of weakening both the government and the party.
The Minister further alleged that links between real-estate interests, Udhayanidhi Stalin, and leaders connected to the AIADMK camp had triggered divisions within the opposition party.
Praising Vijay's rise, Adhav Arjuna said the people of Tamil Nadu had embraced him in the tradition of former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu C N Annadurai, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.He added that the people of Tamil Nadu had "taught a lesson to India" by rejecting leaders who, according to him, failed to remain truthful to the public.
The 2026 Tamil Nadu elections were registered in history books after the state declared an unprecedented mandate for Vijay. While TVK ended up winning 108 out of 234 seats in its maiden political stint, it was for the first time in the history of state politics that both legacy 'Dravidian' parties were ousted from power.
However, Vijay couldn't attain a majority on its own and was later offered support by Congress (5), CPI-M (2), CPI (2), VCK (2) and IUML (2), which were earlier the allies of the Secular Progressive Alliance led by DMK.
Published on May 15, 2026