Key Points

Campaigning in Namakkal as part of his district-wide weekend tour, the TVK Chief accused the DMK of betraying voters with unfulfilled promises and said his movement offered a "people-first alternative" focused on practical solutions rather than flashy but empty pledges.

Thousands of TVK volunteers thronged the streets to greet Vijay as his convoy travelled through Namakkal, delaying his arrival at the campaign venue by nearly six hours.

Once on stage, the TVK Chief addressed the crowd for about 15 minutes, mixing sharp criticism of the DMK government with emotional appeals rooted in Tamil identity and local pride.

Calling Namakkal "not just a land of eggs and poultry but of Tamil spirit", he invoked poet V. Ramalingam Pillai's famous call for Tamils to stand tall.

He reminded the people that social justice stalwart P. Subbarayan -- from Namakkal -- played a key role in securing reservation rights for backward and Scheduled Caste communities.

Vijay read out several DMK manifesto commitments -- such as grain godowns in every union, government procurement and oil production from copra, distribution of natural sweeteners in ration shops, and restoring the old pension scheme to all categories of state employees -- and asked pointedly: "They (DMK) said it. Did they do it?"

He criticised successive state governments for ignoring Namakkal's long-standing demands, including cold storage and research facilities for egg preservation and disease testing, and alleged that DMK's neglect had left poor powerloom workers so desperate that kidney trafficking networks preyed on them.

Vijay was emphatic about TVK's political independence.

"We will never ally with the BJP, directly or indirectly. We will not betray Tamil Nadu with opportunistic deals," he said, also warning voters that "a vote for DMK today is indirectly a vote for BJP", accusing the ruling DMK of secret understanding with the Centre.

He promised that a future TVK government would focus on basics -- good roads, clean drinking water, reliable healthcare, and women's safety -- and would only announce practical, doable plans.

"We will not build castles in the sky or promise roads like in America," he said, drawing laughter and cheers.

Concluding his speech, Vijay urged Namakkal voters to trust him to create a people-centric government that protects workers and delivers on essential infrastructure without false grandeur.

- IANS