Nainar Nagenthran Claims TVK Trailing in By-Polls as CM Vijay Steps Up Campaigning
Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran on Saturday claimed that the ruling Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam was trailing in the by-elections across the Dharapuram and Madurantakam Assembly constituencies. He attributed Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's intensive street campaigns and roadshows to diminishing public popularity and administrative shortcomings over the past five months.
Speaking to mediapersons in Tirunelveli, Nagenthran stated that he had visited both constituencies to assess the ground situation firsthand. He noted that Vijay had already campaigned extensively across several villages in Madurantakam and was scheduled to campaign in Dharapuram on Sunday, contrasting this with the limited direct campaigning the Chief Minister undertook during the Assembly elections six months ago.
Nagenthran questioned the necessity of the Chief Minister's intensive outreach, pointing out that the TVK had previously claimed that Vijay merely showing his face once was sufficient to draw voters. The BJP state chief argued that Vijay's political appeal had waned following administrative failures, which he claimed had forced the ruling party leadership to step up its by-poll efforts.
Turning to economic issues, Nagenthran criticised the state government over the power situation in Tamil Nadu. He stressed that adequate electricity supply remains essential for industries, warning that a lack of basic infrastructure could drive fresh investments toward other states. He also called on the government to guarantee steady electricity and water supplies to sustain industrial development, noting that a slowdown in Tamil Nadu's GST collections had impacted economic growth.
Nagenthran further alleged that the state was experiencing problems concerning law and order and drug use. Dismissing comparisons between the TVK and the BJP, he maintained that the BJP's long political history could not be compared to that of a newly-formed party, which he characterised as a bubble, predicting possible political shifts in the state following the by-election results.
The BJP leader also criticised political parties that question the Election Commission, remarking that it was improper to accept electoral processes only when results were favourable and challenge them following defeats. He described resistance to the special intensive revision as an attempt to foster confusion, and added regarding the Hindi signage issue on state highways that language matters should not be used to create political divisions.
