TVK to file complaint with ECI against M.K. Stalin’s remarks on Dharapuram candidate: Minister
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) will lodge a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) over alleged body-shaming remarks made by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M.K. Stalin against the TVK’s Dharapuram Assembly bypoll candidate, P. Sathyabama. The complaint will be filed in response to comments Mr. Stalin allegedly made during his campaign on Friday, October 2, 2026, Minister C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar said on Saturday, October 3.
Allegations over campaign remarks
Addressing reporters in Coimbatore, Mr. Nirmal Kumar condemned the remarks attributed to Mr. Stalin, calling them derogatory and asserting that they targeted a Scheduled Caste woman contesting from Dharapuram. “It is condemnable that Mr. Stalin could say this about a Scheduled Caste woman who is fighting the polls in Dharapuram,” he said, adding that the TVK would formally raise the issue with the ECI.
Political charges and bypoll outlook
Escalating his attack on the DMK leadership, Mr. Nirmal Kumar alleged that the party was “going the AIADMK way” and predicted it would contest the 2029 elections in alliance with the BJP and the AIADMK. He further claimed that Mr. Stalin and Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin were speaking “out of frustration” and forecast defeats for the DMK in the upcoming bypolls in both Dharapuram and Madurantakam constituencies.
“We are criticising the DMK as an ‘evil force’ because it is a party that is harmful to society. The DMK cannot ask people to vote for Mr. Stalin or Mr. Udhayanidhi, and it cannot cite any good work it has done,” he asserted.
Money-for-votes denial
Responding to allegations that the TVK was offering cash to voters, Mr. Nirmal Kumar rejected the charge. He said the party would not give “a single rupee” in exchange for votes, calling it against TVK’s policy.
Stand on voter list revision and criticism of AIADMK
The Minister reiterated the TVK’s opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, claiming that if the exercise had been conducted properly, the party would have secured 160 seats in the Assembly elections. He also took aim at the AIADMK’s leadership, describing it as “Edappadi’s AIADMK” and not the party built by former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa. He said AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami had faced multiple electoral defeats but continued to hold on as party head.
Campaign security spending
Asked about the large sums reportedly spent on barricades during the campaign events of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, Mr. Nirmal Kumar said the installations were made for public safety.
Power supply and procurement plans
On a recent communication advising high-tension electricity consumers to switch to generator sets in the evenings, the Minister for Electricity explained that the State saw a brief shortfall last week due to a reduction in allocation from the Neyveli plant. He said the gap was bridged by purchasing power from the market and emphasized that there were no power cuts anywhere in the State as a result. “We will go for tenders in the next two to three months for long-term power purchase contracts,” he added.
Response to GST revenue charge
Responding to Mr. Stalin’s allegation that the State’s GST revenue had declined because of the TVK government’s policies, Mr. Nirmal Kumar noted that the party had been in office for only three months. “How can the TVK be the reason for the drop in GST revenue?” he asked.
Next steps
The Minister said the TVK would proceed with a formal complaint to the ECI over the alleged remarks made during the DMK president’s Dharapuram campaign. He maintained that the party would continue to challenge both the DMK and AIADMK on governance and electoral practices as the Dharapuram and Madurantakam bypolls approach.
