TVK chief Vijay urges Puducherry voters to reject both alliances
TVK chief Vijay criticised both ruling and opposition alliances in Puducherry, calling them ineffective. Positioning his party as an alternative, he promised full statehood, welfare schemes, and administrative reforms while urging voters to reject traditional political blocs
Puducherry: Attacking both the ruling and opposition blocs in poll-bound Puducherry as having failed the aspirations of the local people, TVK chief Vijay on Saturday positioned his party as a credible alternative, promising 100 per cent efforts to secure full statehood and a slew of welfare measures including free electricity.
The actor-politician labelled the ruling AINRC-BJP combine as “exhausted,” and the Congress-DMK bloc as “confused.” “In Tamil Nadu too, the DMK-Congress is a confused alliance. In Puducherry too, it is similarly a confused alliance. Then there is another alliance, the alliance of NR Congress (AINRC) and BJP. That is not a joined alliance; it is an exhausted alliance that could not stay together,” Vijay said.
Canvassing votes for his party nominees for the April 9 polls, he said, “I have selected candidates who stand with the people on the ground. I have entrusted them to you. We stand on the side of our people. Our people stand on your side.”
The atmosphere in the coastal town was electric hours before the TVK chief arrived at the venue. Thousands of supporters and fans lined the arterial roads of Puducherry, waving the party’s dual-coloured flags and shouting slogans of “Thalapathy” (commander), as he is addressed.
The road leading to the rally site was a sea of yellow and maroon, with massive cut-outs of the leader flanking the streets. Despite the sweltering heat, the crowd remained undeterred, transforming the roadshow into a vibrant display of strength that brought traffic to a standstill across major intersections.
Opening his speech by introducing his candidates for Orleampet and Thattanchavady, the latter witnessing a contest between Chief Minister N Rangasamy and former CM Ve Vaithilingam (Congress), Vijay urged the electorate to shun the traditional blocs.
He said the DMK-Congress alliance is so “confused” that in some constituencies, “they even oppose each other” despite being allies. “It is an alliance only in name,” he remarked.
Targeting the ruling bloc, the TVK leader alleged that AINRC and the BJP are constantly at loggerheads, creating a climate of uncertainty.
“One day there is news that there is an alliance, and the next day they say there isn’t. They are playing a political game using us as a tool,” he said, asserting that TVK is contesting alone to maintain its integrity.
Vijay focused on the long-standing demand for Puducherry’s statehood. He questioned why neither the Congress nor the BJP had granted statehood despite both having held power at the Centre for several years.
“The late Sushma Swaraj-led committee recommended statehood 20 years ago, yet no government has implemented it,” he pointed out. He vowed that a TVK administration would work relentlessly to obtain “full statehood without the interference of the Lieutenant Governor”.
In his address, the TVK chief also presented what he termed as “proof of maladministration” regarding the collapse of the Union Territory’s public distribution system. Highlighting a deep-seated crisis in basic infrastructure, he noted that many ration shops across the UT have remained closed for years because the government failed to pay rent to the building owners.
Citing the alleged dire state of essential services, Vijay said that the distribution of key commodities like wheat, sugar, and oil has been halted for nearly five years. He further highlighted the plight of the workers within the system, stating: “It has been five years since the distribution of essential goods like wheat, maida, sugar, and oil was stopped in ration shops. Moreover, it has been mentioned that ration shop employees have not been paid their salaries for five years.” Outlining a populist “Mission and Agenda” for a “whistle revolution”, Vijay announced that if voted to power, TVK would conduct local body elections within six months. His welfare pitch included Rs 25,000 maternity assistance, a Rs 20 diesel subsidy for fishermen, and the creation of a “Puducherry University of Applied Sciences and Arts”. Furthermore, he promised 200 units of free electricity for families below the poverty line and a Rs 25 lakh medical insurance cover for every household.
In true filmi style, Vijay closed his speech with a song and call for a “one-finger revolution”, an apparent nod to a dialogue in one of his films.
Single-phase polls to 30 seats in the UT will be held on April 9.
