Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu), June 1 : Weeks after assuming office, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay held his first public rally as the CM in Tiruchirappalli on Monday, where he thanked the people for choosing Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and shifting away from the DMK-AIADMK duopoly.
Delivering an address, he took a jibe at political opponents, noting that while they had said that they would observe for the first six months, they couldn't stay silent for 6 days.
Reflecting on the election results, Vijay framed his victory as a rejection of traditional power dynamics in the state.
"Only a few weeks have passed since I assumed office, yet those who claimed they would remain silent for six months could not remain silent even for six days. By rejecting the two people who had been taking turns deceiving you for so many years, you chose your Vijay, your elder brother, your younger brother, who came to genuinely work for you, and made him not the Chief Minister, but your first servant," he said.
Reassuring the people of Tiruchirappalli East, where he had won from in the Assembly Elections but later resigned and retained his Perambur constituency, he emphasised that he has a personal connection to the place.
"Now, people refer to me as the MLA of the Perambur constituency. That is only in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Election Commission. But as far as I am concerned, the people of the Tiruchirappalli constituency are also very, very close to my heart," he said.
"My special greetings and my heartfelt thanks to all the people of the Tiruchirappalli East constituency," said the CM.
He was addressing a grand public meeting that was organised at the St Joseph's College ground near Chathiram Bus Stand to thank the people of Tiruchirappalli East constituency who elected him in the state Assembly elections.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly elections were held across the state in a single phase on April 23. During the vote counting held on May 4, Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam created a major political milestone by securing 108 seats and forming the government.
In this election, TVK leader Vijay contested from two constituencies and registered victories in both. In Chennai's Perambur constituency, Vijay secured 1,19,454 votes and defeated his nearest rival by a margin of 53,532 votes. In the Tiruchirappalli East constituency, he polled 91,381 votes and won by a massive margin of around 27,416 votes.
After assuming office as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Vijay resigned from his Tiruchirappalli East Assembly seat. It was officially announced that he would continue as the MLA for Chennai Perambur constituency.
Although he resigned from the Tiruchirappalli East seat, Vijay has planned this meeting to express his gratitude to the voters of the constituency and the people of Tiruchirappalli district who supported TVK in forming the government. The gathering will be held today at the St. Joseph's College ground near Chathiram Bus Stand in Tiruchirappalli.
