Chennai: Despite TVKrepeated declaration that its president Vijay will be the chief ministerial candidate in 2026, senior AIADMK leader RB Udhayakumar has renewed his invitation for the fledgling party to join the AIADMK front to topple their common enemy, the DMK.Addressing reporters in Madurai on Friday, Udhayakumar urged all political forces opposed to the DMK, including the TVK, PMK and DMDK, to join ranks under the AIADMK banner to defeat the DMK. He warned that the disparate efforts of the anti-DMK parties would only weaken their collective mission. RB Udhayakumar has made similar appeals to TVK in the past as well. But the main opposition party was expected to change its approach after TVK was rejected by a special general council held recently. TVK not only said that Vijay will be the CM candidate but also emphasized that the 2026 elections will be a direct fight between TVK and DMK. Udhayakumar’s fresh invitation to TVK surprised many as Vijay’s remark also drew criticism from ally BJP. In a sharp contrast to Udhayakumar’s address, AIADMK deputy general secretary KP Munusamy accused Vijay of trying to create an illusion that he was the DMK’s arch-rival by using his on-screen popularity. “Without any real connection with the people or meaningful interaction, some are trying to create an illusion of power and position themselves as a major force using screen popularity,” he said without naming Vijay at a public meeting in Krishnagiri. Meanwhile, Udhayakumar flayed AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran for his anti-EPS tirade. He recalled that Dhinakaran had sought to usurp control of the AIADMK after the death of its late leader J Jayalalithaa, but the EPS successfully foiled those attempts and steered the party to victory. “Unable to digest this fact, Dhinakaran continues to make baseless allegations against our leader,” Udhayakumar said.
