TVK accuses Stalin of insulting Dharapuram candidate

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam leaders accused M.K. Stalin of insulting the party’s Dharapuram by-election candidate, P. Sathyabama, over remarks he made during a campaign speech on October 2. TVK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and other party figures called for an apology, while the party said it had filed a complaint with the Election Commission alleging a breach of election rules. The exact wording and context of Stalin’s comments remain unclear in the available accounts. TVK leaders described them as bodyshaming or humiliating, but no transcript or recording was provided. No response from Stalin or the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to the accusation was reported. In a complaint to Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik, TVK general secretary Aadhav Arjuna said Stalin’s remarks violated the Model Code of Conduct. Arjuna requested that the Election Commission cancel Stalin’s star-campaigner status and direct the district returning officer to file a police case under Tamil Nadu’s law prohibiting harassment of women. The complaint’s status and any action by election officials were not reported.