Palaniswami's party to boycott Vikravandi bypoll, Chidambaram alleges proxy battle

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has slammed Tamil Nadu's principal opposition party, AIADMK, for its decision to boycott the July 10 bypoll to the Vikravandi Assembly constituency.Â

Referring to the centre, Chidambaram, in a social media post, alleged the party had received such instructions from the 'top', and that the party, along with the BJP, were "fighting the battle through a proxy".

"AIADMK's decision to boycott the Vikravandi by-election is clear evidence that it has received instructions from the 'top' to facilitate the electoral chances of the NDA candidate (PMK). Both BJP and AIADMK are fighting the battle through a proxy (PMK)," Chidambaram tweeted.Â

"The I.N.D.I.A. bloc must ensure the resounding victory of the DMK candidate," he said.Â

Chidambaram's post on X

On Saturday, AIADMK announced that it would boycott the bypoll to the Vikravandi Assembly constituency. The party also alleged that the ruling DMK will unleash 'violence' and not allow people to vote 'independently.'

S Ramadoss, founder of the Pattali Makkal Katchi, a constituent of the BJP-led NDA in Tamil Nadu, announced that his party's vice-president C Anbumani, would contest the Vikravandi bypoll.

Palaniswami, also the leader of the opposition, alleged that the state ministers and DMK workers, apart from misusing power will also flex their money and muscle power and unleash violence and lawlessness and not allow people to vote independently. Hence, the bypoll will not be fair and free and considering such factors, the "AIADMK will boycott the July 10 bypoll to the Vikravandi Assembly segment."

The AIADMK general secretary, in a statement, cited several allegations made in the past against the DMK including the 'Thirumangalam formula' and 'Erode East formula,' of confining people in 'sheds' like cattle to prevent opposition from reaching out to them and to somehow win their votes through allurements.Â

The ruling party had, however, dismissed all such allegations as false.

Palaniswami expressed confidence in returning to power in Tamil Nadu by winning the Assembly election to be held in 2026.

(Thirumngalam formula is a reference to the opposition's allegation of inducement/cash for votes in Thirumangalam Assembly segment in a bypoll held in 2009 during the DMK regime. Bypoll to Erode East Assembly constituency was held in 2023 and DMK's ally Congress party's senior leader EVKS Elangovan won.)