DMK president MK Stalin on Monday alleged that the ruling TVK, headed by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, secured victory in the April 23 Assembly elections without carrying out extensive grassroots work, instead relying heavily on social media campaigns to influence voters.
Speaking at a party function, Stalin highlighted the organisational efforts undertaken by the DMK in preparation for the elections. He referred to various initiatives carried out by the party, including conferences, booth-level activities and work connected to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to him, the DMK had invested considerable effort in strengthening its field presence and maintaining direct contact with voters across constituencies.
Without directly naming the TVK, Stalin claimed that the ruling party did not engage in comparable groundwork during the election campaign. “They did not carry out field work like us. In several places, they did not even appoint counting agents,” he alleged while addressing party workers and supporters.
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The DMK chief further said that the election outcome exposed the growing influence of social media in shaping public opinion. Again refraining from mentioning TVK by name, he claimed that digital platforms were strategically used to reach families through younger members of households, eventually influencing voting patterns. “Social media was used to influence families through children, and this escaped our attention,” he said.
Stalin noted that the DMK had now recognised the impact and reach of such online campaigns and would adopt a more cautious and proactive approach in the future. He stated that the party had already begun formulating strategies and mechanisms to counter similar social media-driven initiatives in upcoming elections.
Recalling the long political journey of the DMK, founded in 1949, Stalin said the party had experienced both significant victories and major setbacks over the decades. However, he stressed that the DMK had consistently managed to recover from challenges and emerge stronger each time. Comparing the party’s resilience to that of a “phoenix,” the former chief minister asserted that the DMK would continue to rise above political defeats and adapt itself to changing political realities.
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