Stalin calls Vijay a 'reels CM', accuses TVK of doing the BJP's Hindi homework

MADURANTAKAM/DHARAPURAM: The battle for the October 6 bypolls turned personal and linguistic this week, as DMK president M. K. Stalin launched his sharpest attack yet on Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay — accusing the TVK government of attempting to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu and branding Vijay a "reels Chief Minister." On October 2, as Vijay held a massive roadshow through Mamandoor, Karunguzhi, Madurantakam, Perumbakkam, Melmaruvathur and Achirupakkam for TVK candidate Maragatham Kumaravel, Stalin took to X with a warning: Tamil Nadu, he said, had so far faced Hindi imposition from the Union government — "now, it seems the state government itself is taking up that role, which appears to be the change they had promised." Questioning the TVK government's handling of the state's two-language policy of Tamil and English, Stalin asked whether this was "yet another attempt by the TVK government to first test the waters in everything and then take a 'U-turn' once opposition emerges." He accused the government of running a "reels government" for North Indian influencers and urged it to change course. A day later, campaigning in Dharapuram for DMK candidate S. Suganya, Stalin sharpened the attack. "To give a fitting reply to the arrogance of the 'Reels' Chief Minister who lacks the support of the majority of the people, to safeguard the honour of Dharapuram, vote for the Rising Sun symbol on October 6th," he said. "I have not come here merely to seek votes. I have come seeking justice." Referring to Vijay's last film, Stalin said, "He acted in a film titled Jananayagan, but today he is acting like a villain to democracy." He claimed the TVK had acknowledged its political proximity to the BJP — "He admitted that they are a branch of the BJP... I am glad that he spoke that truth" — and accused the party of functioning like a corporate organisation rather than a political one. "Behave like a Chief Minister, not a 'cheap minister,'" he said. Stalin also campaigned in Madurantakam for DMK candidate I. Paranthaman, with Udhayanidhi Stalin and Kanimozhi Karunanidhi joining the party's final push in both constituencies. In Dharapuram, Stalin's roadshow began near the Amaravathi statue and concluded with a public meeting on Udumalai Salai. He spoke of the Amaravathi river's beauty and the town's heritage of supplying quality paddy seeds to other regions. In the 2026 Assembly polls, the AIADMK won the Dharapuram reserved seat with 40.56% of votes; the DMK finished second with 32.20% and the TVK third with 23.23%. This time 49 candidates are in the fray — 27 in Madurantakam and 22 in Dharapuram — with the TVK, DMK, AIADMK, CPI and CPM among the contestants. The bypolls were necessitated after AIADMK MLAs P. Sathyabama (Dharapuram) and K. Maragatham Kumaravel (Madurantakam) resigned from the Assembly and joined the ruling TVK, and are now contesting the same seats under new colours. Polling is on October 6; counting on October 9.