News Tamil Nadu

“Some Have Started New Party To Become CM”, Says DMK Min Geetha Jeevan Taking A Dig At Actor Vijay

September 9, 2024
The Commune

The growing discontent among DMK leaders and ministers towards the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party is becoming increasingly apparent. This dissatisfaction is manifesting through indirect criticisms of TVK party leader Vijay, an actor-turned-politician Vijay. Recently, Geetha Jeevan, the DMK Minister for Social Welfare and Women Empowerment, joined in mocking Vijay’s party during a general membership meeting. Her remarks, subtly ridiculed TVK’s aspirations for direct leadership, highlighted the escalating tensions within the DMK, after Vijay unveiling his party’s official flag recent.

Speaking at a general membership meeting organized by the 29th circle DMK on 8 September 2024, in Meenakshipuram, Thoothukudi, DMK Minister Geetha Jeevan ridiculed actor Vijay’s ambition to become chief minister. She pointed out that Vijay had not yet established a grassroots cadre structure and suggested that he should first focus on building a solid organizational foundation before pursuing such high aspirations.

Geetha Jeevan advised the DMK cadres that, “The public is in support of our leader, and everyone’s support is with our Chief Minister. It is your duty to convert this support into votes. If you are at home assuming that a sister who receives her monthly entitlement will vote, she will not vote. You should go and visit that sister, remind her of the benefits she received for many months, and ask her to vote for us this time. This way, the family’s vote will come to us. Therefore, canvassing to meet each and every person is crucial. In that way we must take it upon ourselves to increase our vote bank in this state assembly election.”

She then took a jab at the opposition parties, stating, “You know about the AIADMK. Their brotherly fight has not come to an end and will not come to an end. Their vote bank in the last assembly election in every part was 100 to 150 votes less. In the same way, the NTK and Tamil Manila Congress are facing the same situation, the vote bank is reducing.”

Turning her criticism towards Kollywood actor Vijay, she remarked, “Some have started a new party to become chief minister. Their aim is to achieve this without creating an organizational foundation, not doing the fundamental groundwork, and so on. They are not going to split our votes.”

Similarly, last week, at the DMK general membership conference in Mangadu, Kanchipuram, DMK Minister for MSME T. M. Anbarasan criticized the party cadres for their sluggishness in organizing their base, suggesting that their lack of initiative had allowed cinema personalities to capture a significant portion of the potential voter base. He advised members to appreciate actors as fans but to leave their fan following in the cinema. Anbarasan subtly indicated that actor Vijay’s popularity among the DMK cadre should not influence the party’s focus.

Anbarasan commented, “You all say that now everyone is entering politics. He is now joining the youths, as you can see from our party, no one leaves.” He continued, “I’m not saying don’t watch cinema, but leave them behind in the theater. Enjoy them, but keep that enjoyment separate. What dignity does he have? How much does he get paid for a movie 200 to 250 crores right. His fans support him with love, yet he sells it for 2000 rupees a ticket when a movie is released. Can he protect the nation?”

He also pointed out that the recent event where actors from Vijay’s party honored top students from across Tamil Nadu was something the DMK had been doing for years.

Three weeks earlier, on 10 August 2024, during a DMK youth wing membership camp in Iyyappanthangal, Chennai, Anbarasan stated, “There is not a single street in Tamil Nadu where the DMK is not present. Our volunteers are everywhere. Despite this, the DMK was in opposition for the past decade. Now, some actors, thinking they can attract crowds, aspire to become Chief Minister. We’ve already seen two actors, MGR and Jayalalithaa, serve as Chief Ministers. To achieve the ambitions of those seeking this position without understanding the context, we must strengthen our movement,” indirectly targeting TVK chief Vijay.

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