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Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder-president and actor Vijay will launch his first statewide political campaign from Trichy on Saturday, September 13. The tour will cover all 38 districts of Tamil Nadu and conclude in Madurai on December 20.
According to the party’s schedule, Vijay will campaign in Trichy, Perambalur and Ariyalur on the opening day. He will then tour Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Mayiladuthurai on September 20, followed by Tiruvallur and north Chennai on September 27.
His campaign will reach Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tiruppur and Erode on October 4 and 5; Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi on October 11; Kancheepuram, Vellore and Ranipet on October 18; and south Chennai and Chengalpattu on October 25.
In November, Vijay will cover Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Cuddalore, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram.
The final leg of the campaign will be held in Madurai on December 20. Most events are scheduled on Saturdays, with only one on a Sunday.
Ahead of the campaign, TVK general secretary N Anand wrote to the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police requesting adequate security and traffic regulation for the tour. The party said the outreach would primarily be held through public meetings.
Meanwhile, Vijay hit out at the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government for lodging cases against Anand and other TVK cadres in Trichy. Calling the move an attempt to curb his party, Vijay alleged that the government was “scared of TVK’s growth”.
“The DMK government, unable to accept the love and support we are receiving, has registered cases against our general secretary and party workers. Election campaigning is a democratic right. Why is this government afraid of TVK while it allows other parties to campaign freely?” he asked
Vijay urged that the cases be withdrawn immediately. “The rulers have lost their sleep and are thinking round the clock on defeating us, mounting pressure on the police. These actions are proof that the government fears defeat,” he added in the statement.