Tiruppur District Police have registered a case against Tamil Nadu Leader of the Opposition, Udhayanidhi Stalin, for allegedly involving a minor in election campaigning during the Dharapuram by-election.
Allegations of Involving a Minor in Campaign
During a campaign meeting near the Periyar statue in Dharapuram town, Udhayanidhi Stalin had a minor boy speak from a campaign van. The child made remarks against Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, reportedly saying “Om Kali.. Bhadra Kali…”. Police indicated that this action violates Election Commission guidelines, which prohibit involving children in election activities. The child’s remarks were described as insulting to the Chief Minister.
Further Campaign Efforts in Dharapuram
This was Udhayanidhi Stalin’s second campaign visit to the Nochipalayam area in Dharapuram, where he sought support for the DMK candidate, Advocate S Suganya.
Context of the Dharapuram Bypoll
The Dharapuram by-election is scheduled for October 6, with counting set for October 9. The election was called following the resignation of AIADMK MLA P Sathyabama in May 2026, shortly after winning the seat. She then joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and is contesting the bypoll as their candidate.
Electoral Significance and Opposition Candidates
Dharapuram is a Scheduled Caste-reserved constituency where Scheduled Castes make up about a quarter of the population. The bypoll is a critical contest involving TVK’s P Sathyabama, DMK’s Advocate S Suganya, AIADMK’s K Bhanumathi, CPI’s P Lakshmanan, and NTK’s M Karthika.
This election is seen as a key test for CM Vijay’s TVK government, which presently lacks an outright majority and aims to bolster its position by winning both the Dharapuram and Madurantakam bypolls.
