'Vijay is a very confused, amateur politician.'
Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vinoj P Selvam on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam founder Chief and actor Vijay, branding him a "confused and amateur politician" who lacks clarity on key issues and fails to articulate his party's core principles even after two years.
Selvam, the Tamil Nadu BJP youth wing president, accused Vijay of indecision on figures like Periyar and of merely echoing the DMK's rhetoric without offering original positions.
"Vijay is a very confused, amateur politician. He doesn't know how to take a stand between Periyar and otherwise... What is the message you're trying to give?... You are very confused, you are very amateur, you are still in kindergarten as far as politics is concerned."
"And after two years of forming his political party, to date, he has not been able to come up with what his party stands for," Selvam said.
The BJP leader criticised the TVK for opposing BJP policies on issues like NEET while parroting DMK lines, without outlining its own agenda.
"He keeps opposing the BJP's policies and principles, and he keeps talking about NEET. He basically parrots everything the DMK says, but apart from that, TVK has not come out with a single line about what his party actually stands for. So let him first get clarity before opposing the BJP," he added.
Vijay launched his state-wide campaign from Tiruchirappalli on Saturday. He delivered a fiery speech questioning the ruling DMK over its 'unfulfilled' electoral promises mentioned in its 2021 election manifesto.
Addressing a massive crowd, Vijay began his speech with a reference to tradition, saying, "In the olden days, before going to war, people would first visit their family deity for blessings. Similarly, before heading into an electoral battle, I wanted to meet and greet my people."
Vijay then shifted his focus to the DMK government's 2021 election manifesto, highlighting several promises that remain unfulfilled.
"Out of the 505 assurances they made, what has been implemented? Where is the Rs 3 reduction in diesel prices, the monthly electricity bill calculation, the waiver of student education loans, 40 per cent job reservation for women in government services, the restoration of the old pension scheme, and the filling of two lakh government vacancies?" he asked.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday slammed the Opposition AIADMK, alleging that the party has fallen into subservience, seeking refuge under Amit Shah.
Exuding confidence in a DMK victory in the 2026 assembly election, Stalin stated that "Tamil Nadu is a no-entry zone for the BJP."
Addressing the DMK's Mupperum Vizha in Karur, marking the birth anniversaries of social reformer Periyar, DMK founder C N Annadurai and the 76th founding anniversary of the DMK, Stalin said, "AIADMK once claimed to stand for self-respect, but today it has fallen into subservience, seeking refuge under Amit Shah. While many parties that promised change and transformation have vanished, the DMK has remained strong."
"Tamil Nadu is a no-entry zone for the BJP. No one can defeat the DMK in this state, and Karur is not just a district; it is the DMK's own land. Since 2019, DMK has won all elections it has faced. This is not a usual victory; we have made all enemies shake. This victory will surely continue in the 2026 assembly election too. Dravidian model 2.0 Governance will surely be formed," he added.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram also alleged that the AIADMK had lost its independence and become "a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BJP".
"AIADMK, a powerful political party and a legacy political party in Tamil Nadu, unfortunately, has lost its independence. It is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BJP," Karti Chidambaram told ANI on Wednesday.
"Even for any small internal problem, they will have to run to Delhi for arbitration. That very clearly shows that they have lost their independence, and the people of Tamil Nadu have lost confidence in them because they don't behave like an independent political party anymore," he added.
On Tuesday, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, accompanied by party colleagues, called on Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan for the first time after his election in New Delhi. EPS' visit to the national capital comes in the run-up to the 2026 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, which the AIADMK and the BJP will contest in an alliance against the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
On Monday, Palaniswami praised the BJP for extending consistent support to his party, especially after AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa's demise, while strongly criticising the DMK government for its alleged failures in maintaining law and order in Tamil Nadu.
There have been demands within the AIADMK to bring back leaders who left the party. On September 5, Gobichettipalayam MLA and former school education Minister K A Sengottaiyan raised the demand and set a 10-day deadline for Palaniswami to initiate the process.
However, the AIADMK general secretary relieved Sengottaiyan from the party posts. Sengottaiyan's call was supported by former party leaders O Panneerselvam, V K Sasikala and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam founder T T V Dhinakaran.
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