On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Kanimozhi, the parliamentary party leader of the DMK, accused the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) of orchestrating the recent byelections in the Maduranthagam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies. She claimed that the TVK, which presented itself as a clean force, had engaged in the ‘stealing of candidates’ from parties in the DMK alliance, prompting the need for new elections.
Kanimozhi, who was campaigning for DMK candidate I. Paranthamen in Maduranthagam, said that the TVK had appropriated MLAs who had previously resigned from the AIADMK to join the ruling party. The DMK president, M.K. Stalin, had selected Paranthamen with the expectation that he would uphold Dravidian ideology and remain loyal to the party after being elected. She warned that if the AIADMK were to win again, further defections could trigger another byelection.
The leader also criticized Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, alleging that he had campaigned among children and encouraged them to persuade their parents to vote for him. She further claimed that Vijay had attempted to conceal the death of a girl in Vandalur and had not addressed a separate sexual assault incident involving another girl. In contrast, she said Stalin had reached out to the affected families and offered assistance.
Kanimozhi cited data from the National Crime Records Bureau, which labels Tamil Nadu as a safe state for women, but pointed out that within the four months since the TVK assumed power, the state has recorded 500 crimes, including 300 sexual assaults against women and children, 200 murders, eight custodial deaths, and ten honour killings.
