Karaikudi (Tamil Nadu), Apr 10 (PTI) TVK chief Vijay’s journey, as part of his Assembly election campaign plan, from Madurai, was considerably delayed, and as a result, he skipped the scheduled speech here on Friday, disappointing his fans and cadres waiting there for hours.
Party sources said that this delay was due to massive crowds along the way from Madurai to Karaikudi, about 100 km.
It allegedly took more than four hours for Vijay’s entourage to reach the venue in Karaikudi, way past the scheduled time.
Meanwhile, thousands of youngsters and cadres had occupied the area near the Devar statue, where Vijay was supposed to have addressed the gathering, since early morning, enduring the scorching heat for over five hours while relying on water and Glucose biscuit packets provided by volunteers.
By the time the convoy finally reached the venue, the official time permitted by the police for the event had expired, forcing the TVK chief to offer only a brief wave to the sea of people before departing.
This left many who had travelled from areas like Aranthangi and Paganeri in deep disappointment, with some attendees vocalising their frustration and alleging that the timing constraints were a deliberate conspiracy by the ruling party and local authorities to silence the leader.
Speaking to PTI Videos, a supporter from Aranthangi expressed his disappointment regarding the lack of a speech, stating, “I have come from Aranthangi. I have been standing for about an hour… Thalapathy did not speak at all… That is the disappointment.” Another attendee from the same area explicitly alleged political interference, asserting, “This is entirely a DMK conspiracy”.
A supporter from Paganeri highlighted the tough nature of the constituency and the emotional weight of the event.
“We are from Paganeri, Sivagangai district… We have been waiting since morning… It is emotional,” she told PTI videos.
While some who had waited a long time in the hope of seeing their ‘Thalapathy’ speak were more sympathetic to the timing constraints, noting, “poor thing, he didn’t get time”, others in the crowd reinforced the frustration of the long wait in the heat.
One fan told PTI Videos, “It is a big deal, so we came at 10 am and waited this long only for the leader to leave without speaking.” Despite the emotional toll of the day and the frustration of not hearing him speak, loyalists maintained that the mere sight of Vijay was a significant moment, asserting their continued commitment to the party ahead of the 2026 elections. PTI JR ADB
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