TVK chief Vijay at an event held in Poonjeri near Mahabalipuram to felicitate students who excelled in Classes 10 and 12 exams
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay on Friday (May 30, 2025) alleged that large sums of money — misappropriated from the public — would be spent during the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, and urged voters to exercise their democratic duty by voting for honest, trustworthy, and corruption-free candidates, while rejecting cash-for-vote offers.

Speaking at an event held in Poonjeri near Mahabalipuram to felicitate students who excelled in Classes 10 and 12 exams, Mr. Vijay said, “Though academic achievement is important, don’t let it overwhelm you with stress and anxiety. The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is not the end of the world. There is a vast world beyond it, full of opportunities. You have so much more to achieve in life.”

He urged the students to keep their minds strong and embrace democratic values. “Only democracy can bring and sustain freedom worldwide and ensure everything for everyone. Encourage your family members to exercise their democratic duty by choosing honest, trustworthy, and corruption-free candidates, while rejecting cash-for-vote offers.”

Urging students to adopt technical and scientific thinking, Mr. Vijay said, “Keep caste and religious divisions away from you, like how you would keep away from drugs.” He also strongly condemned the reference to Periyar’s [E.V. Ramasamy’s] caste in a question in the recent Civil Services Preliminary Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission.