'Om Kali, Bhadra Kali': Udhayanidhi Stalin booked for putting a minor on the Dharapuram campaign van

DHARAPURAM — On the eve of one of Tamil Nadu's most-watched bypolls, Tiruppur district police have booked Tamil Nadu Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin for allegedly involving a minor in his election campaign in Dharapuram. The case was registered on Sunday at the Dharapuram police station, in connection with a campaign meeting held near the Periyar statue in Dharapuram town the previous day, according to ANI. Police allege that during the meeting, Udhayanidhi made a minor boy climb onto the campaign van and speak to the crowd. While speaking, the boy made remarks against Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, chanting 'Om Kali.. Bhadra Kali...', according to police accounts. The Election Commission of India strictly prohibits the involvement of children in any election-related activity, and police say the incident violates those guidelines. The child was also made to speak in a manner insulting the Chief Minister, police added. Udhayanidhi was campaigning for the DMK's candidate, Advocate S Suganya, addressing his second meeting in the Nochipalayam area of Dharapuram. Addressing the rally, he acknowledged that although voters had not given the DMK victory in the 2026 Assembly election, the party had represented the Dharapuram constituency in the Assembly from 2021 to 2026. The Dharapuram bypoll, scheduled for Tuesday (October 6) with counting on October 9, has become a five-cornered contest. The ruling TVK has fielded P Sathyabama, the DMK S Suganya, the AIADMK K Bhanumathi, while the CPI's P Lakshmanan and NTK's M Karthika are also in the fray. The bypoll was necessitated after AIADMK MLA P Sathyabama resigned in May 2026, days after winning the seat on an AIADMK ticket in the Assembly elections. She subsequently joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and is now contesting as its candidate. Dharapuram is a Scheduled Caste-reserved constituency in Tiruppur district, where Scheduled Castes constitute about a quarter of the population.