'Can it last three months?' Stalin questions TVK government's survival as ex-VCK MLA Panaiyur Babu joins DMK

DMK president M.K. Stalin on Sunday launched a fresh attack on the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government, questioning whether the C. Joseph Vijay-led administration could 'last even three months' — as former VCK legislator Panaiyur Babu formally joined the DMK along with his supporters. Speaking at the joining event in Chennai, Stalin said the DMK had initially decided to refrain from criticising the new government for six months after it assumed office. 'When this government assumed office, we had said we would refrain from criticism for six months. But within that period itself, circumstances have emerged that compel discussion,' Stalin said, according to news agency ANI. 'Many are already talking about it. The situation is such that people are wondering whether it can last even three months, let alone five or six months.' Babu was welcomed into the party in the presence of senior leaders including Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, T.R. Baalu and Udhayanidhi Stalin. Praising the former legislator's conduct in the Assembly, Stalin described him as a principled politician: 'During the last five years, I have had the opportunity to closely observe Panaiyur Babu in the Assembly. He would come quietly and leave quietly, but whenever he spoke, he would raise constructive views and strongly articulate the issues concerning his constituency.' Referring to Babu's statement explaining his decision to switch parties, Stalin said it contained 'not a single word' that could hurt anyone, and described him as 'a committed worker who stands firm by his principles.' Stalin used the occasion to highlight the DMK's record on social justice and development, citing the construction of memorials for anti-caste leaders Immanuel Sekaran and Rettamalai Srinivasan, and the renovation of the MC Raja Students' Hostel. He listed projects implemented in the Cheyyur constituency — an arts and science college, a SIPCOT industrial estate, a government hospital, paddy procurement centres, fishing net-weaving centres, coastal protection works and the distribution of free house-site pattas to around 10,000 beneficiaries. 'Panaiyur Babu has chosen the DMK as the right movement to continue his ideological journey,' Stalin said. His remarks came a day after AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami alleged that the TVK government could collapse if its alliance partners withdrew support, claiming Vijay had won the election due to his 'cinema glamour' and that the ruling coalition depended heavily on its allies. The opposition's sharpened tone comes days before by-elections in two constituencies, with polling on October 6 and counting on October 9. Both the DMK and the TVK have campaigned heavily, with Stalin and Vijay holding roadshows across the seats.