‘People have made me the first sewak,’ CM Vijay says at Tiruchirappalli rally

Trichy: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday rejected allegations of horse-trading made by opposition parties, while accusing the DMK and AIADMK of secretly attempting to form a government “to loot”.

Addressing his maiden rally after assuming office on May 10 at St Joseph’s College in Tiruchirappalli, Vijay launched a sharp attack on the DMK, accusing it of persistent criticism and alleging that its “family politics” led to its defeat in the April 23 Assembly election.

“The people have made me the ‘first sewak’, not chief minister,” he said, adding that continued criticism from the DMK would only benefit TVK politically.

He further alleged that after the election results were declared on May 4, the two Dravidian parties attempted backroom negotiations to form a government “to loot”, claiming that such moves were driven by a desire to protect “business, corruption and vested interests”.

“It was because if the TVK formed the government, their business—loot and corruption—will be lost,” Vijay said, describing the DMK as an “evil force” and the AIADMK as a “spent force”.

The Chief Minister also criticised opposition parties for targeting his government immediately after its formation. “They said they would wait six months for us to settle down, but could not even wait six days,” he remarked.

Reiterating his political positioning, Vijay said, “The contest is only between TVK and DMK, and others don’t matter.”

Referring to his electoral performance, he claimed that TVK had secured unprecedented support. “Even MGR did not get this kind of vote share in his first election. I am not comparing myself with MGR—MGR is MGR,” he said, adding that he was working on the path laid by leaders like MGR, Periyar and Anna.

He also responded to criticism over his attire, asking why he should not wear a suit. “I am wearing only two colours—black and white—symbolising the human heart,” he said, adding that his governance approach would be direct, without “grey areas”.

Without naming the AIADMK directly, Vijay described it as a “spent force” and claimed that TVK had broken barriers of caste, religion, and “cash-for-votes” politics.

He concluded by asserting that his government would represent all sections of society, with a firm commitment to state rights and secular values.