Ahead of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s high-profile visit to Salem, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) cadres and functionaries put up massive flagpoles, welcome banners and celebratory festoons at several prominent street intersections and highway medians on the route from Salem to Mettur.
The elaborate arrangements raise questions about the need for political flags and banners on public roads when such installations can pose risks to motorists and pedestrians.
This is mainly because Vijay had earlier projected a “people-first” approach and directed that political banners, posters and flex boards should not be put up on public roads, electricity poles and government structures.
Yet, ahead of his own visit, the Salem-Mettur route has been covered with TVK flags, banners and other decorations.
The development has also raised questions over whether the restrictions announced by the Chief Minister apply equally to his own party cadres.
Political flagpoles and banners placed close to roads and traffic corridors have long been a safety concern in Tamil Nadu. The deaths of Subasree in Chennai in 2019 and Raghu in Coimbatore in 2020 had previously triggered widespread outrage over unauthorised banners and political decorations.
Against this backdrop, questions are being raised as to why authorities are allowing large-scale political displays to come up along busy roads for a Chief Minister’s visit.
உயிரை பறிக்கும் கொடிக்கம்பம் மற்றும் பேனர்கள் கண் முன்னே தெரியவில்லையா முதல்வரே? அறிவு இருக்கும் எந்த கட்சியும் இந்த வேலையை செய்யாது ! மாற்றம் என்பது மக்களை ஏமாற்றவா ?
இதை வெட்கமின்றி வேடிக்கை பார்க்கும் சேலம் காவல்துறை தலைமை அதிகாரி , ஆட்சியர் மற்றும்…
— Arappor Iyakkam (@Arappor) September 1, 2026
The role of the Salem district administration and police also raises eyebrows over whether the authorities are enforcing the same rules against TVK cadres that apply to ordinary citizens and other political parties.
The episode presents an uncomfortable contradiction for the TVK government. A party that came to power promising a change from established political practices is now pushing the very culture of oversized political displays and roadside decorations that it had previously opposed.
For a government that has repeatedly spoken about putting people first, allowing roads and public spaces to be filled with party flags and banners for the Chief Minister’s visit raises a simple question: does the “people-first” rule apply to TVK as well?
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