TVK files EC complaint against MK Stalin for body-shaming Dharapuram candidate

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has filed a formal complaint with the Election Commission against DMK president MK Stalin, accusing him of body-shaming their candidate for the upcoming Dharapuram by-election, P Sathyabama.

In a complaint submitted to Tamil Nadu’s Chief Electoral Officer on 3 October, TVK election campaign management chief Aadhav Arjuna accused Stalin of violating the Model Code of Conduct during a campaign speech in Dharapuram the previous day. The party has demanded that the election watchdog strip Stalin of his star campaigner status and order the police to register a case against him under state laws protecting women from harassment.

The remarks at the centre of the row

During his campaign speech on 2 October, Stalin mocked Sathyabama's appearance while referring to derogatory nicknames allegedly used against her, including "Petti Bama" (Suitcase Bama) and "Palti Bama" (Somersault Bama). Stalin went on to question how she managed to perform a "somersault" from one party to another "with that kind of appearance."

Arjuna’s complaint argued that the comments had nothing to do with Sathyabama's political record, policies, or public standing, and were instead a direct, vulgar attack on her physical appearance. The TVK has called for an investigation under Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, which penalises harassment of women in public spaces.

Chief Minister Vijay hits back

TVK leader and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay launched a sharp counter-attack on social media platform X, accusing the DMK of fostering a "violent, obscene, and perverse" political culture.

Vijay said Stalin’s comments showed that the DMK's leadership has routinely targeted women with derogatory language without any regard for their dignity. He claimed the voters of Dharapuram would deliver a "fitting reply" at the ballot box.

"The people of Tamil Nadu, particularly voters of Dharapuram, would give a fitting reply to the DMK in the October 6 bypoll," Vijay wrote, adding that he was speaking out in support of Sathyabama "as a son and brother" to the women of the state.

Arjuna also warned that TVK would file a formal criminal complaint against Stalin and his son, Udhayanidhi Stalin, if they did not stop making disparaging comments about women.

A broader campaign battle

The dispute comes amid a fierce war of words as the state prepares for by-elections. At the same Dharapuram rally, Stalin launched a broadside against the four-month-old TVK government, calling it a "corporate mafia" and accusing it of systemic corruption, including rushing public tenders and failing to manage basic public services.

Stalin mocked Vijay’s transition from cinema to politics, saying the Chief Minister had stopped acting in films only to start "acting in reels" on social media. He also challenged Vijay's silence on national issues, asking if the Chief Minister was "afraid of the BJP."

Addressing the candidate herself, Stalin accused Sathyabama, a former AIADMK MLA, of betraying her original voters by resigning to join TVK, thereby forcing an unnecessary and expensive by-election on the constituency. "She betrayed democracy and sold herself," Stalin told the crowd, urging voters to teach her a lesson at the polls.