"Vijay instructed candidates to inspect strong rooms personally": TVK's Aadhav Arjuna ahead of vote counting

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 26 : Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Villivakkam candidate and General Secretary of Campaign Management Aadhav Arjunaon Sunday said that party president Vijay has directed candidates to personally inspect all strong rooms ahead of counting day while stressing the need for "fair, transparent and adequately secured" counting of votes.

Arjuna said the inspection was conducted in accordance with the instructions of TVK chief Vijay.

"Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president Vijay had instructed that candidates must personally visit and inspect all the strong rooms. Based on that, we inspected them in person," he said.

Emphasising the need for robust arrangements on counting day, he said adequate security must be ensured at all centres. "Adequate security must be provided on the voting day. Our insistence is that the vote counting should take place on a fair basis. During every round of counting, sufficient time should be given and the counting must be done properly," Arjuna added.

He also flagged infrastructural concerns at certain counting centres, stating that some facilities were not adequate. "Some counting rooms are small in size, so that must be rectified," he said.

Arjuna also claimed that Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president Vijay remains actively involved in the party's functioning. "Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president Vijay is in touch with us every day and is giving the necessary advice," he said.

Taking a political dig at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Arjuna remarked, "It is our wish that former Chief Minister Stalin should take permanent retirement."

Responding to speculation about Vijay's foreign travel, he dismissed reports as false and made a political quip. "Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president Vijay has not gone to Australia; he is going to the moon. DMK is preparing the rocket for that. The news that Vijay is going to Australia is a rumour," he said.

Alleging irregularities during elections, Arjuna accused the ruling DMK of resorting to intimidation and violence. "Whenever there is an election, DMK resorts to hooliganism. We saw it clearly in Thuraimugam. Cauvery K. candidate Chinnavar Ashok was attacked, and condemnation was expressed over it," he said.

He further alleged attempts to disrupt polling in certain constituencies. "They tried to capture polling booths in places like Thuraimugam and Saidapet," Arjuna added.

Furthermore, Stalin is facing a serious multi-cornered challenge from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's (TVK) VS Babu and AIADMK's P Santhana Krishnan, along with NTK's Soundara Pandian Louther Seth. This has turned Kolathur into a high-voltage triangular contest, with actor-turned-politician Vijay's TVK attempting to disrupt traditional vote banks while the AIADMK seeks to reclaim lost ground.

Stalin, however, has maintained a strong electoral record in Kolathur. In the 2021 Assembly elections, he secured 1,05,522 votes (61.4 per cent), defeating AIADMK's Aadi Rajaram by a margin of 70,384 votes in a contest that saw a voter turnout of 64.63 per cent out of 2,68,296 electors.

The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

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