Why Stalin-EPS war of words is bad for Vijay

Why Stalin-EPS war of words is bad for Vijay 

STORY BOARD ARUN RAM 18.11.2024 

James Bond’s creator Ian Fleming said: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence.

Three times Chief minister M K Stalin struck three times at AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami in the past week. And this bout of aggression appears to be more strategic than impulsive. Into the third quarter of his third year as chief minister, Stalin has been selective in engaging the opposition in verbal duels. While his lieutenants took on that job, Stalin has confined himself to firing salvos at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union govt. And then, suddenly this rapid fire at EPS. This calculated acknowledgement of EPS as his prime rival shows Stalin is not just drawing the battlelines but also trying to define the warriors; that the others aren’t important. This, if it lasts till the run-up to the 2026 assembly elections, will be perfect symbiosis for Stalin and EPS. 

This year’s general elections were a lesson for EPS as BJP – though vanquished at the end – stole the limelight, engaging the Stalin brigade so consistently that it almost looked like a DMK vs BJP battle. While Stalin’s intention is to divert attention from actor and TVK founder Vijay, EPS should be happy with the renewed media attention the chief minister’s remarks have brought on him. Not that Stalin was kind in his criticism. “Edappadi is speaking like some political leaders who lack decency and civility,” Stalin said on Nov 12. Two days earlier, he was more acerbic while responding to EPS’s criticism of govt schemes being named after ‘Kalaignar’. “Should we name the schemes after you,” Stalin asked EPS, “who crawled like a cockroach to become chief minister”. Edappadi showed he is no easy pushover, challenging Stalin for a one-on-one debate “without papers” (Udhayanidhi Stalin took the gauntlet, but EPS dismissed him). 

The bout has relegated the others to the shadows. While Tamil Nadu BJP is in snooze mode as its president K Annamalai is on an academic sabbatical in the UK, NTK leader Seeman remains all  sound and fury signifying little. The situation is more crucial for actor-politician Vijay. The only time Stalin reacted to Vijay, that too without taking his name, was soon after the Villupuram conference where the actor dubbed ‘Dravidian model’ as a façade for misgovernance. “Even some newcomers want to finish off DMK,” Stalin said, “but we don’t have the time to waste on them.” Vijay, however, cannot ignore Stalin. 

The TVK founder has done the right thing by choosing DMK as his main rival. Now he will have to do the groundwork to prove that he is a mightier alternative to the ruling party than AIADMK or BJP. If Vijay is serious about making corruption an election plank in the 2026 election, he should get his party to document and expose it. This is easier said than done, for TVK would need much more than cheering crowds to challenge, if not unseat, a party with an age-old cadre base and a well-oiled election machinery. As of now, Vijay’s proclaimed policies are not any different from any of the Dravidian parties. The differentiator, however, will be his actions rather than promises. If he succeeds in exposing corruption, Vijay’s claim of being an alternative would look more credible. And to take it to the people, TVK needs some seasoned political minds, and that is something the party lacks now. 

If Vijay merely joins the chorus of allegations without substantiation, Stalin will rather sit back and smirk. Like Napoleon Bonaparte said, never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. _arun.ram @timesofindia.com toi_arunram POKER