CM Vijay condemned DMK president M.K. Stalin’s 2 Oct remarks about TVK’s Dharapuram candidate P. Sathyabama as body-shaming; TVK ministers sought an apology and the party approached the Election Commission.
Chief Minister and TVK president C. Joseph Vijay on Saturday, October 3, 2026, condemned remarks made by DMK president M.K. Stalin about TVK’s Dharapuram by-election candidate P. Sathyabama, accusing him of mocking her physical appearance at a campaign meeting. TVK ministers demanded an apology, and the party has taken the matter to the Election Commission.
Campaigning in Dharapuram on Friday, October 2, for DMK candidate S. Suganya, Stalin argued that Sathyabama — elected on an AIADMK ticket in May — had “betrayed democracy” by resigning within months and joining TVK, and urged voters to teach a lesson for what he called a betrayal of their mandate (DT Next). According to reports, he also referred to her with the nicknames “Petti Bama” and “Palti Bama” and made a reference to her physical appearance (ANI, Dinamani). It is this last part that triggered the controversy.
In a post on X on October 3, Vijay strongly condemned the remarks. He said that under the guise of a by-election public meeting in Dharapuram, Stalin had conducted a meeting “full of slander and indecency”, and alleged that he had mocked Sathyabama’s physical appearance and spoken about a woman candidate in an indecent manner. In the same post Vijay described the DMK as a “force of evil” (ANI). These are the Chief Minister’s own characterisations.
Women’s safety and dignity have been a central theme of Vijay’s by-election campaign: at Madurantakam on September 25 he said there would be no compromise on women’s safety, and he called on voters to answer those who speak about women in a defamatory way.
| Leader | Response |
|---|---|
| Health Minister K.G. Arunraj | Called the remarks strongly condemnable on X, accusing Stalin of derogatory language and of making fun of Sathyabama’s appearance (News Today) |
| Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan | Asked on X whether an election campaign should involve ridiculing women, saying criticism should be about a candidate’s record and voters’ issues (News Today, Punjab Kesari) |
| TVK leadership | Several ministers and functionaries called on Stalin to apologise |
The Chief Minister said TVK would approach the Election Commission over the remarks (ANI), and the party has since submitted a complaint seeking action, according to India Today and The Times of India. A complaint is a request for action, not a finding: the Commission has not ruled on it.
At the time of these reports, no response from Stalin or the DMK to TVK’s objections had been reported. Stalin’s campaign has focused on Sathyabama’s switch from the AIADMK to TVK, which the DMK and AIADMK have made their main issue in the by-election. This article will be updated if the DMK responds.
Sathyabama won Dharapuram (SC) for the AIADMK in May 2026, resigned on May 25 and joined TVK. At the Chief Minister’s rally on September 30 she broke down on stage while speaking about the online attacks she had faced since switching, and Vijay comforted her. Dharapuram votes on October 6; counting is on October 9.
Sources: ANI, DT Next, News Today, Punjab Kesari, Dinamani, India Today, The Times of India. Statements are attributed to those who made them.
By-Election Dharapuram Day 146