Leader of the Opposition and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) youth wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Saturday (September 26) sought to impress upon voters in Dharapuram (SC) Assembly Constituency that the decision of Communist parties, with whose support the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) formed the government, to contest in the byelection was a reflection of their disappointment with the ruling establishment’s governance.

Campaigning for DMK candidate S. Suganya at Mulanur, Kundadam, and other locations, Mr. Udhayanidhi charged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay with failure to keep up election promises of ₹4,000 unemployment allowance for youth, enhancement of monthly financial assistance (Urimai Thogai) for women to ₹2,500, delivering six cooking gas cylinders free of cost per family, and (complete) waiver of farm loans.

Had the DMK been voted to power, women would have started receiving enhanced monthly assistance of ₹2,000, and every family, at the outset, would have been provided with ₹8,000 for purchase of electronic appliances, Mr. Udhayanidhi claimed.

While accusing the DMK of bribing voters, the TVK Government had, for its formation, indulged in “wholesale horse-trading” by “breaking other parties” and buying out MLAs, Mr. Udhayanidhi alleged. He singled out the TVK candidate in the constituency Sathyabama, claiming she had switched sides from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and resigning within 10 days of becoming an MLA in lieu of money.

Referring to the election campaign speech of the Chief Minister at Madurantakam, Mr. Udhayanidhi said the 30-minute speech was all about DMK-bashing and that it “lacked substance”.

He said the law and order situation in the State has deteriorated.

The move by the TVK Government to construct a new Assembly complex facing the sea at a cost of ₹1,200 crore, and the proposal to provide MLAs with cars after claiming that the DMK had emptied the State’s coffers, was “ridiculous”, Mr. Udhayanidhi said.