Elections can come at any time, in three months or six, DMK chief MK Stalin, trounced at the polls, decided to play a fortune teller.
Addressing party cadre at an event marking the entry of large number of AIADMK cadre with former AIADMK minister Benjamin on Sunday in Chennai, he spotlighted Chief Minister Vijay's administration as a fragile "minority" government, hinting it may not last its five year-term, and that it was running with the support of parties who were until recently part of his party-led alliance.
Stalin, who lost his own seat in the Tamil Nadu polls, said Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, or TVK, lacks the public mandate to govern independently, having secured only 108 seats against the required majority mark of 118.
"Let us look at the reality. The present ruling party did not win a majority to form a stable government on its own strength," the former Chief Minister said.
He claimed that "The government runs only with the support of those who people actually voted wanting the DMK to form the government. It is only because of the tactical alignment and support of certain parties who were until recently part of our progressive alliance that this TVK vehicle is managing to move at all".
"This is a shaky setup. We do not know at which junction or turning this vehicle is going to lose its balance and come to a sudden halt. Therefore, I am telling you, elections can come at any time. It could happen in three months, or it could happen in six months. We cannot afford to wait for a five-year cycle," he said.
Stalin urged the cadre present to immediately transition into election mode.
After failing to secure a simple majority, the TVK stitched up the required support with the help of Congress, Left parties, VCK and IUML - all of whom faced the April 23 poll as DMK allies, after they snapped ties with the Dravidian heavyweight to support Vijay.
"We must be 100 per cent prepared for any political eventuality. We cannot start preparing after the election dates are announced. Let this mega induction event serve as the moment we take a solemn pledge to begin our field work for the DMK's thumping return to power, starting this very minute," he said.
Criticising the TVK-led government, Stalin alleged that the state had moved away from its development path over the past month, with investors shifting to neighbouring states. He further alleged a deterioration in law and order, citing an increase in crimes against women, narcotics-related offences, robberies, violent attacks, petrol bomb incidents and power cuts.
On the same day, Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin said that the people of Tamil Nadu were now searching for the governance they once had.
"Tamil Nadu once had governance. Today, the people of the state have begun searching for where it has gone," Udhayanidhi said at a wedding function in Pudukkottai.
He accused the ruling TVK government of repeatedly targeting the DMK with searches while welcoming "corrupt forces", which, he alleged, became "pure forces" after joining its ranks.
He alleged that the Chief Minister was more concerned with checking camera angles and positioning in the Assembly than with governance, accusing him of staging a performance every day.
"It makes us wonder whether this is an Assembly, a cinema theatre, or a shooting spot," he said.
Speaking at another wedding function in the Orathanadu area of Thanjavur district, Udhayanidhi said ordinary citizens were facing hardships under the current regime, with the public left searching for necessities like electricity and water, and questioning the "deterioration of law and order."
He said established welfare programmes like the 'Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai' and the 'Puthumai Penn' schemes remained highly popular, and alleged the current government was struggling because it was unable to halt these initiatives.
