'Reels CM': Stalin's Dharapuram broadside turns the bypoll into a referendum on Vijay's rule

Dharapuram: The October 6 by-elections to Madurantakam and Dharapuram turned into a full-throated duel on Friday, as DMK president M.K. Stalin took the campaign to the ruling TVK's doorstep and branded Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay a "Reels" Chief Minister. Addressing a public meeting in Dharapuram in support of DMK candidate and advocate S. Suganya, Stalin said the bypoll was an opportunity for voters to give a "fitting reply" to what he called the arrogance of a chief minister who, in his words, lacks the support of the majority. "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, sharing glimpses of the rally on X. The DMK chief turned economics into ammunition. Campaigning through the town, he stopped at a grocery shop to talk about the prices of daily essentials, arguing that ordinary families were buckling under the cost of living while the government chased publicity. He alleged that Tamil Nadu's GST revenue had declined for three consecutive months and raised pointed questions about the state's economic management. Power supply, law and order and industrial development came in for attack too, with Stalin accusing the government of concentrating on "reels and social media publicity" instead of addressing people's problems. He questioned whether promotional videos could solve the problems faced by ordinary families. Stalin did not spare Vijay's film past. "He acted in a film titled Jananayagan, but today he is acting like a villain to democracy," he said, adding that the chief minister should "behave like a Chief Minister, not a cheap minister" and accusing the TVK of functioning more like a corporate organisation than a political party. He also claimed the TVK had acknowledged its proximity to the BJP, saying he "welcomed" the admission that it was "a branch of the BJP". The rally opened with a nod to local pride. Stalin spoke of the Amaravathi river, the town's historical significance and its farmers, who he said supplied quality paddy seeds to other regions. "I have not come here merely to seek votes. I have come seeking justice," he said. Vijay, meanwhile, held a roadshow in Madurantakam for TVK candidate Maragatham Kumaravel, travelling in an open vehicle, stopping at a tea shop and even driving a tractor. Reports of vehicles colliding in the chief minister's convoy during the roadshow could not be independently verified. The two SC-reserved constituencies go to the polls on Tuesday, with counting on October 9 and campaigning ending on October 4. The contests were forced after two AIADMK MLAs resigned within a month of their April victories and joined the TVK, which has renominated them. With the DMK fielding I. Paranthamen in Madurantakam and Suganya in Dharapuram, and the AIADMK and the Left in the fray, the bypolls have become the first real electoral test of the TVK government.