TN poll battle: Stalin, Vijay file nominations

Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin and TVK chief Vijay filed their nominations on Monday for the April 23 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, marking a charged beginning to the electoral battle as campaigning gathered fierce momentum ahead of the high-stakes political showdown in the state.

Seeking a fourth consecutive mandate from Kolathur, Stalin struck a confident note after filing his papers, projecting an emphatic victory and continuity of governance.

Vijay, who entered the fray from the working-class stronghold of Perambur, attacked the DMK over the law and order situation and “rising unemployment.”

The actor-politician also urged voters to give his party a decisive opportunity. Across Tamil Nadu, the first day of nominations on Monday witnessed a blend of political theatre and grassroots symbolism, with candidates adopting unconventional methods—from submitting deposits in coins to arriving at returning officers’ offices in bullock carts.

Adding to the intensifying contest, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin kick-started his campaign from Kanchipuram, asserting that the election is a battle to drive out AIADMK chief Palaniswami and prevent Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah from gaining a toe-hold in the state.

Launching his campaign here in the native town of DMK founder leader CN Annadurai (1909-1969), Udhayanidhi, addressing a massive rally, recalled his father and party chief MK Stalin’s statement that the ensuing poll was a fight between TN and Delhi and asserted that the BJP must not be allowed.