TVK did no field work, won assembly polls using social media: DMK's M K Stalin

DMK President M K Stalin on Monday alleged that the ruling TVK led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay did no field work but managed to win the April 23 Assembly polls by influencing people using the social media.

Without mentioning the ruling party, Stalin said that social media was used to influence family members through children and "it escaped our eyes".

Addressing a function, Stalin listed several initiatives of his party including conferences and work related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as well.

Without directly naming the TVK, he alleged it won without doing any such field work like the DMK. Stalin also said that Vijay's party did not even appoint counting agents in many places, he said.

The former CM said that his DMK has realised this and will be very careful from now on, adding that schemes have been formulated by the party to scuttle such social media based initiatives.

Talking about the robust party organisation, Stalin said that the DMK commenced work for the 2026 Assembly polls soon after the conclusion of the Lok Sabha election in 2024, which its-led alliance swept.

The string of party initiatives Stalin mentioned include constitution of booth committees, appointment of booth level agents, campaign to enroll party members, youth and women's wing zonal conferences and so on.

Stalin asked, "Still, why we were not able win polls despite doing so much ? How is it that those who did not meet the electorate, did not do any work, have won polls?"

He said no one can forget that the DMK and its workers treated both victory and defeat on an equal footing.

However, rivals are plotting to write "political obituary" for the DMK. The party, founded in 1949, has seen several electoral victories and debacles as well and has always risen like a "phoenix", the ex-CM asserted.

After the DMK lost power, Stalin said he appealed to the new dispensation to continue to implement the welfare schemes launched during his party's tenure.

Stalin recalled that he had earlier said during the election campaign that the string of welfare schemes implemented by the DMK, including those intended for the welfare of women and students, cannot be changed in the future by anyone.

"So I had said then itself that till such time these welfare schemes are implemented, it means that it is the Dravidian model government that is ruling the state. That is the status today," he said.

Further, the DMK chief said he was not disheartened by the defeat and reiterated that the party has set up a committee to tour all the 234 constituencies in the state to assess the ground situation and find out the reasons for the debacle.

A website, "Udanpirappin kural" has been launched to facilitate party workers and others including general public to express their opinion on the reasons for DMK's defeat.

He appealed, "Again, only we will come to power and work with that confidence."

His concern was had his party got another opportunity to form the government, it would have implemented many more schemes and that has been scuttled.

In a social media post, the DMK chief said a new government has been formed and his party will not pose trouble in them governing the state.

But if they attacked the party, using slander to cover up their inability, the DMK will explain and expose their lies on social media.

(With PTI inputs)